Drivers Frustrated With Roadwork Traffic in Northeast Columbia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)- Some drivers in Northeast Columbia say roadwork in the area has made traffic unavoidable lately.
Longtown Road is often used a corridor for neighbors to enter Northeast Columbia or get on I-77. The road is currently being resurfaced, receiving a new layer of asphalt by the Department of Transportation, causing an inconvenience for some drivers.

“Sometimes when I come from school, I try to avoid traffic by taking that road like say if need to go to Publix or something and I’m leaving Blythewood I try to take that road but I don’t think I’ll take that road anymore because it’s only like one lane and the people don’t have a turning lane or anything like that,” said Cherrell Wigfall.

Other drivers believe the roadwork is not burden but a blessing. “As long as they can make the roads better, I’m all for it. We can find alternate routes to get to where we need to go,” said Benjamin Jacobs.

But some drivers say roads they take to avoid the resurfacing lead them to even more construction. “They tell us to go one direction and then all around, it’s like a fort. It’s a different road and everybody can’t…It’s just too much traffic,” Wigfall said.

David Rogers with SCDOT says the agency will try to help you if your run into the same issue with multiple routes. “There may be a period of time where the public has to find an alternate route and if there is another project, my recommendation would be to call SCDOT if that happens and see if we can explain another route or maybe we can do things differently,” said Rogers.

Rogers said the department expects Longtown Road to be resurfaced within the next three or four weeks. You can reach SCDOT by calling 803-737-2314.