Army National Guard builds sandbag barrier to protect Hwy 501 from flood

CONWAY,SC (WOLO)- Hundreds of Guardsman have been working 24 hours a day since Saturday (9/15) to build a barrier to protect Highway 501 as record flood levels continue to rise.

Water from the Waccamaw River and Lake Busbee merged into one after Florence. The flooding is expected to reach its highest point on Monday.

“We are protecting to twenty feet elevation,” Bill Matheny, with the Army National Guard said.

The sandbag wall being built by the Army National Guard was originally finished on Wednesday, but is now being built higher as water level predictions continue to rise. Matheny says this operation is critical to the state.

“There’s a hospital on the far side that is a level one and maintaining this would get them to that,” Matheny said. “We’re covering 2 miles of highway and that effort is pretty significant. Especially when you’re consider we’re holding two roads, two walls. So really you’re looking at 4 miles of engineering effort.”

Guardsmen say they don’t mind protecting the place they call home.

“We live and train in the community,” Matheny said. “We were ready to respond and support the citizens of South Carolina.”