One of Myrtle Beach’s busiest roads to see changes after SCDOT audit

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - A road heavily traveled daily, Kings Highway will soon see changes to its traffic lights and pedestrian crossings after a year-and-a-half-long audit from the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

SCDOT said the road needs what city officials consider ‘major’ improvements. It was revealed at a Tuesday city council meeting SCDOT completed a year and half long audit on Kings Highway between 27th Avenue North and 27th Avenue South where they evaluated traffic, speeds, crashes, and pedestrian patterns throughout the period of time.

For both city officials and local business owners, the issues of inconsistency and overcrowding on the road are familiar.

Assistant City Manager for Myrtle Beach, Brian Tucker, told WMBF News, “If you’ve driven that stretch of Kings Highway, you know that cars come from every direction. It can be a little questionable sometimes.”

Owner of ESA Fitness, Terrance Butler’s business is located right in the heart of Downtown Myrtle Beach along Kings Highway. He said he usually avoids driving on the road because of those issues.

“People coming from the North, they hit almost every single light. Realistically, let’s say you’re coming from the Dunes, it shouldn’t take you 20 minutes to get here,” said Butler.

City staff said improvements wouldn’t include expanding lanes, but rather changing the cycle of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.

Myrtle Beach officials confirmed the project will be funded by SCDOT. The city could see improvements begin as soon as July 2024.

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