FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – Historic rainfall and flooding damaged hundreds of roads across South Carolina and workers with the South Carolina Department of Transportation have been working to repair those damaged roads since October.
While crews have opened most of the roads the floods damaged in Florence County there are two major roads that remain closed.
People driving along Old River Road were disappointed Friday afternoon after having to make a detour.
“When I got up here and saw this detour it was a hurtful thing. Now I got to turn around and go all the way through Pamplico,” said Florence County resident John Allen.
Allen was on his way to Hemingway get a bite to eat when he noticed Old River Road was still shut down.
“I saw some signs back there saying it was closed. But then I saw roads that were open and they were fixed, I thought it was fixed all the way through,” Allen said.
While that road is waiting to be fixed, Friendfield Road is slowly moving towards completion.
Crews were out Friday repairing Friendfield Road. In fact, Andy Johnson with the South Carolina Department of Transportation says residents can expect for it to be open for traffic early as Thanksgiving.
Unlike Friendfield Road the Department of Transportation says the bridge that sits over Old River Road is deficient. That’s because both ends of the bridge were washed out in last month’s flood and because of that it may take more than six months for it to be completed.
“I go fishing down in Johnsonville and possum fork. This is a straight shot…Old River Road going to it,” explained Allen.
But for the next few months that straight shot will be under construction.
“It’s an inconvenience now but to get some of that good barbecue, you’ll have to travel,” Allen said.
SCDOT told News 13 that due to resources Old River Road will have to be done by contractors. And the work done on Old River Road should be finished between spring and summer of 2016.
