Residents worry stoplight at Goose Creek intersection may never get completed

GOOSE CREEK, S.C. (WCSC) - In Berkeley County, the city of Goose Creek and the South Carolina Department of Transportation worked together to approve a stoplight at St. James Avenue and Myers Road. 

The stoplight was approved almost a year and a half ago and residents in the area say they’ve almost lost hope that it will get completed.

Data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety shows more than 150 crashes have occurred at the intersection over the past five years resulting in dozens of injuries.

A traffic analysis found the volume in that area was too high leading to the approval of the signal with construction scheduled to take up to 15 months. SCDOT says the design of the signal began when the project was approved in March of 2022 with a contract in place in August that same year.

Michelle Yusko has lived in Okatee Subdivision for 15 years, directly across from St. James Avenue and St. Myers intersection. Yusko says she lives in a family neighborhood that’s peaceful and quiet. She’s seen cars cut through her neighborhood to get onto St. James Avenue just to avoid the intersection.

“They’re cutting through the neighborhood, which is making it worse,” Yusko says, “They cut through our neighborhood, so they don’t have to go to the end of Myers Road and pull out of our neighborhood onto St. James Avenue.”

Yusko is in favor of a red light but says she is unsure if it’s going to get done or if progress has been made. Especially when she’s seen accidents happen right in front of her.

“It’s awful, it’s ridiculous, it’s horrendous,” Yusko says, “They’ve been promising us a red light forever and ever.”

Yusko says they’ve gotten no notice or update on when the light will officially be at the intersection.

“Never, I have to go ask other people, maybe the electric company, they keep telling me what they’re hearing and it’s just not happening,” Yusko says.

SCDOT says the traffic signal mast arms for this intersection have been designed and ordered. The next step is installation, and the official completion date is Dec. 31 of this year.

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