Coffee Summit Gets SCDOT Commitment to Intersection

Headlights illuminated Donna Drive resident Ben Campbell unpacking his home-roasted coffee and Krispy Kreme pastries Tuesday morning. He stood at the intersection at Boone Hill Road and Pinecrest Boulevard in the mostly dark of the early morning hours, waiting for the impromptu summit Summerville Mayor Bill Collins called with S.C. Department of Transportation officials.

Last week, Collins learned SCDOT turned down a traffic signal at Country Club Boulevard/ Pinecrest Boulevard and Boone Hill Road. Collins invited officials for coffee at the intersection to watch early morning traffic that featured multiple near collisions caused by residents trying to catch a break in the Boone Hill Road traffic. 

Campbell has a stake in the intersection and wanted to be there for the coffee summit — even supplying the coffee and pastries. Every morning he takes a left, northbound onto Boone Hill Road, and his wife takes a right, southbound onto Boone Hill Road.

"This is the first challenge of the day, for us to get out of this intersection," Campbell said. "You have to gun it." 

After SCDOT District Six Engineering Administrator Robert Clark and Collins arrived, the summit lasted about a half-hour — as school buses with children attempted to navigate the intersection, and other drivers attempted to avoid the intersection. 

"We have a serious problem here," Collins said. He added that the intersection has become more dangerous as traffic from Tea Farm Road has been diverted there. "You can get killed."

Campbell was firmly in favor of a signal or also lowering the speed limit. He said with traffic backed up northbound toward Summerville High, those taking a left southbound sometimes can't see the fast moving traffic as they try to pull out. 

However, Clark reiterated his agency's decision to turn down a signal. There needs to be 100 vehicles an hour of cross traffic and, as is, there are only about 140 every eight hours, he said. However, there are about 240 left-hand turns also coming off of Boone Hill Road during that time, he added. 

While the mayor and SCDOT did not see eye-to-eye on the issue of a signal, Clark promised to look into other options to make the intersection safer — whether it's a traffic circle or lowering the speed limit or some other option.

"We're going to look at some other options for folks in these neighborhoods," Clark said. "We will not just walk away." 

The mayor and SCDOT agreed on another item that could fix the intersection woes: finishing the third leg of the Berlin G. Myers Parkway, which has been mired in federal hydrology issues. But that issue is in federal hands, according to Clark and Collins. 

Another Summerville resident stopped by the scene at the intersection briefly to tell Collins the last thing Boone Hill Road needs is another road, and to say what the town really needs in synchronization of lights. SCDOT officials said they will look into the matter.