WMBFNews.com | Myrtle Beach/Florence, SC | News, Weather, SportsRobert Edge Parkway open in NMB

Robert Edge Parkway open in NMB

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC  (WMBF) - A new traffic connection should make driving a bit easier for tourists and locals alike along South Carolina's Grand Strand.

Family members of the first Mayor of North Myrtle Beach, Robert Edge, were among the dignitaries at the opening ceremony for the project named in his honor.

Speakers for the Robert Edge Parkway, (formerly North Myrtle Beach Connector) included United States Senator Lindsey Graham, United States Congressman Henry Brown, South Carolina State Representative Tracy Edge of House District 104; Robert Edge, Jr., Horry County Coroner; SCDOT Commissioner Danny H. Isaac Jr., 1st Congressional District; Liz Gilland, Chairman of Horry County Council; Harold Worley, Horry County Council District 1; Mayor Marilyn Hatley of North Myrtle Beach; Don Leonard, Chairman of the SC State Transportation Infrastructure Bank; John Napier, former Congressman and Federal Judge; Doug Wendel, former North Myrtle Beach City Manager; and Joe Saleeby, former Mayor of North Myrtle Beach.

The $85 million connector extends from SC 90 west to US 17 at Main Street in North Myrtle Beach and includes a bridge over the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and an interchange at Carolina Bays Parkway.

State Department of Transportation program manager Mike Barbee says the new link will reduce congestion on busy U.S. 17, which runs the length of the Grand Strand.

Some business owners in North Myrtle Beach say the parkway will help out the local economy.

"Right there is the wonderful addition to the North Myrtle Beach Connector," said H.G. Worley, who owns a hotel on Ocean Drive in North Myrtle Beach.

Worley knows exactly how the Robert Edge Parkway will help his hotel's bottom line: traffic from the bridge feeds directly towards his property.

"It dead ends right into the heart of North Myrtle Beach," Worley explained.

As workers put the finishing touches on the bridge and parkway, Worley says the project will also help the Northern Strand become a safer place.

"In the event of an evacuation or another natural disaster it will help ease the congestion and the stress on the Highway 17 corridor," he said.

Brent Platt, who owns a clothing store just blocks from the new parkway, knows all too well about the congestion on Highway 17.

"It should help ease congestion and help traffic move a little better," he said, noting less congestion means more potential business, especially for his main clientele, locals. "Your local community tends to drive a little less and stay a little closer to home during the tourist season because of all the traffic, and this will help alleviate a lot of the problems."

The Grand Strand, 60 miles of beaches reaching from Georgetown to the North Carolina line, is the heart of South Carolina's $16 billion tourism industry.

The Robert Edge Parkway is the final project in Horry County's initial RIDE program, which began in 1997. Funding for the $1.1 billion-plus program was provided by Horry County and the State Transportation Infrastructure Bank. Other projects in the RIDE program included the Conway Bypass, the Carolina Bays Parkway from SC 9 to SC 544, the Grissom Parkway, and the Fantasy Harbour bridge.

SCDOT managed the design and construction of the project. The 1,000-foot-long bridge includes a multi-use pathway on the northern side. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to enjoy the views as they use the 10-foot-wide pathway.

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