New path proposed for Chapin’s ‘gateway’

State transportation officials are recommending a major change in the main entryway to Chapin to help ease traffic congestion.

Their proposal would alter Columbia Avenue’s path across the small northern Lexington County town that serves as a commercial hub for an area of 58,000 residents.

The path of the rerouted road will be discussed with residents and town leaders Tuesday.

The 2-mile stretch of the two-lane road from I-26 to the center of town would become a landscaped parkway curving south and connecting to Amicks Ferry Road, the main route to neighborhoods on nearby Lake Murray. Its intersection at I-26 also would be revamped to improve traffic flow.

Reducing congestion on Columbia Avenue has been a longtime goal of planners.

Average daily traffic on the road is near 13,000 vehicles, with backups common around Chapin High School and at the railroad tracks near the library and Town Hall when commuters leave and return from jobs.

Plans call for the $43.2 million project to be finished as soon as 2020.

The path was developed after town residents and leaders reacted to earlier suggestions.

“Columbia Avenue is the gateway into our community,” Mayor Skip Wilson said. “We look forward to having more lanes for vehicles as well as the added bike lanes, sidewalks, lighting and landscaped medians that will really set the tone for the family-friendly town we live in.”

The change should make travel safer, Police Chief Seth Zeigler said.

“It will be a significant improvement for motorists and public safety in general,” he said.

The new path also would alter access to some businesses and neighborhoods.

This story was originally published January 15, 2017 at 5:18 PM with the headline "New path proposed for Chapin’s ‘gateway’."