A busy stretch of South Carolina highway near Coastal Carolina University is getting a series of safety changes this year, including a lower speed limit, a new pedestrian signal and upgraded pavement markings.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation and Coastal Carolina University announced the improvements along SC-544 as the university continues to grow and more students, faculty, staff and motorists use the corridor, according to SCDOT.

Three Changes Coming to SC-544

The first changes are designed to improve safety without waiting for a larger construction project.

SCDOT plans to lower the speed limit along the corridor to 35 mph, install a HAWK pedestrian-activated signal and improve pavement markings. The agency expects to put those measures in place this year, according to SCDOT.

The HAWK signal is designed to give pedestrians a dedicated way to stop traffic when they need to cross the roadway. The combination of the signal, lower speed limit and clearer markings is intended to make the corridor safer for people walking as well as those behind the wheel, according to SCDOT.

A Pedestrian Bridge Is Also Moving Forward

The immediate improvements are part of a larger effort to improve connections between Coastal Carolina's campus and the surrounding community.

The university is also planning a pedestrian bridge over SC-544 near Founders Drive. CCU has already completed feasibility and predesign work and has taken steps to acquire the property needed for the project, according to SCDOT.

CCU's board of trustees approved the final property acquisition Sept. 14, moving the pedestrian walkway project into Phase 2 of the state's approval process, according to SCDOT.

The board also approved an intergovernmental agreement with SCDOT that allows the transportation agency to manage the pedestrian walkway project and related improvements as the project moves toward design and construction, according to SCDOT.

More Changes Could Follow

The pedestrian bridge is still in the planning and design stages, but SCDOT and the university are already looking at what else could be done along SC-544.

The agencies plan to consider additional long-term safety improvements that could strengthen pedestrian connections and address safety needs as the university continues to grow, according to SCDOT.

For now, the focus is on getting the immediate measures in place while the larger pedestrian bridge project moves through the approval process. SCDOT and CCU will continue coordinating the timing and implementation of the improvements as the projects advance, according to SCDOT.

Source: SDOT