The recent push for a new 28-mile, 4-lane highway in Horry County, known as the SC Highway 22 Extension, is an issue that demands the public’s attention and careful scrutiny. The impacts of this expensive project are far reaching and permanent, and it’s important to fully understand the facts and weigh them alongside the true needs of our communities.

Proponents of the project tout its ability to relieve traffic congestion in the area, but the available data suggests that the relief of local traffic issues would be minimal. For years this road project, formerly called the Southern Evacuation Lifeline or “SELL,” was packaged to the public as an evacuation route – which it was not and hence the name change – yet it still doesn’t address issues our current roadways have with handling flooding from rain events and tropical storms. It is also likely that the new roadway will further exacerbate sprawl into western Horry County, especially in the culturally significant communities of Bucksport and Burgess, two communities that regularly deal with flooding events.