Possible changes coming to busy, dangerous intersection in Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - The City of Myrtle Beach said it’s already seen more car crashes at the intersection of Seaboard Street and Commons Avenue in ten months than it reported all of last year.

City staff said changes could be coming after nearly a decade of what residents claim is trouble.

In 2022, the Myrtle Beach Police Department totaled 21 car accidents at this intersection. So far this year, there have been 25 reported accidents.

Police have received calls for this intersection more this year than last; officers were called 30 times this year versus last year’s 23 calls.

A city spokesperson said, that when the Seaboard Commons Shopping Center was built nearly 30 years ago, traffic coming off U.S. 17 had the right-of-way going through that intersection. The shopping center was new then, and the city did not want traffic backing up on U.S. 17 to get into the popular destination.

They said more recently they switched the stop signs so that Seaboard Street was the through street, and traffic from the center itself and coming off U.S. 17 had the stop signs. They said traffic from U.S. 17 had diminished to the point that they weren’t concerned about it backing up.

The road is currently a two-way stop.

Some residents feel the intersection needs to have better safety measures for drivers and pedestrians.

Resident Andrew Anker told WMBF News, “I’m a decent driver, but if I wasn’t. I’m sure it’d be pretty nerve-wracking. You know, people go too fast and there’s blind turns where you can’t see that well. But yeah, it’s pretty sketchy.”

City officials said options to make the intersection safer might include reversing the stop alignment back to the original or going to a four-way stop.

They said the bottom line is drivers must follow the traffic signage. Stop means “stop,” and don’t proceed until it’s safe to do so.

City officials said the intersection is going to be discussed at a meeting next week.

WMBF News has asked for more information about it and is waiting to hear back.

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