Drivers concerned about traffic impact of Goose Creek development

GOOSE CREEK, SC (WCSC) - A new 198-unit apartment complex is under construction on College Park Road in Goose Creek, causing many drivers to say they are worried new development will make their hectic commute even longer or even more dangerous.

Drivers can find the complex by turning right off of I-26 and heading towards Crowfield Plantation. The development is on the right before the Crowfield neighborhood light right behind College Park Road Baptist Church.

Drivers say you can find backups on College Park Road almost any time of day, so adding in more people trying to turn into oncoming traffic can be dangerous.

“It’s bad, it’s probably going to get worse,” John Sanders, a College Park Road commuter, says.

“It will make traffic worse, it won’t get better until they make the road wider or more traffic lights,” driver Owen Samuels says.

Many drivers say this new development will wreak havoc on an already hectic commute. They say they sometimes spend almost an hour trying to get to the interstate and are worried that adding in people turning left out of the complex could cause serious accidents on a daily basis.

“It will make traffic worse,” Samuels says. “It won’t get better until they make the road wider or more traffic lights.”

The South Carolina Department of Transportation says they did a traffic study for this driveway as soon as the permit was obtained. Josh Johnson, a SCDOT traffic engineer, says the driveway doesn’t need a traffic light, more lanes, or any sort change that would alter traffic patterns.

That information from the SCDOT caused Samuels to say he will be looking into finding a new route once this apartment complex is up and functioning.

“There’s not enough lanes to deal with the traffic and the lights are terrible they aren’t in sync,” Samuels says.

Johnson says the department would consider putting in a median to prevent left turns, but only if there is a pattern of crashes at this driveway that begins to show.

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