Delmar Highway Expansion Work Begins Monday

Press Release, Dorchester County

Public officials and community members are invited to a ceremonial groundbreaking for a much-anticipated road improvement project on Highway 165 in Dorchester County on January 28, 2013, at 10:00 a.m.  This event will be held at Ashley Ridge High School.

For decades, the narrow, two-lane portion of Highway 165, known as Delmar Highway, has served a once rural part of Dorchester County adequately.  Over the past ten years, this area has experienced exploding residential growth along with the opening of Dorchester District Two’s Ashley Ridge High School in August 2008. 

Most recently, Dorchester School District Two partnered with Dorchester County Council and the Dorchester Transportation Committee to initiate improvements along the route.  In addition to their efforts, this project was also heavily supported by the Dorchester County Legislative Delegation, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, and the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank to help address the increased growth in this area, as well as the number of high school students traveling to and from Ashley Ridge.  Additionally, sports events and extracurricular activities bring large numbers of the public to the school campus.

The scope of this project will consist of 2.5 miles to include a five-lane highway with bicycle lanes and sidewalks once completed from Carolinian Drive to just beyond the high school. 

Key advocates Joe Pye, Superintendent of Dorchester School District Two; Larry Hargett, Former Dorchester County Council Chairman; County Council members; County staff; and Les Dempsey, Dorchester County Transportation Committee Chairman have worked tirelessly to secure funding and generate awareness of the inadequacies of the existing road.

Former South Carolina Senator Mike Rose worked extensively in Columbia and locally to help acquire funds to create a safer route on Highway 165.  South Carolina House District 98 Representative Chris Murphy has been very supportive of the project and highlighted the benefits that these improvements will bring to the region.  South Carolina House District 94 Representative Jenny Horne was instrumental in taking the case to the State Infrastructure Bank to request the funding for this project, resulting in an award of $13 million.  Dorchester County is greatly appreciative of the tremendous support received from the Legislative Delegation to help bring this much-needed project to fruition.

South Carolina-based engineering firm Dennis Corporation has been selected to design the road improvements under administration from the Dorchester County Public Works Department.  Construction is expected to begin in late 2013.