Greenville proposes lane reduction on busy roadway to improve safety

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) — The City of Greenville unveiled proposed changes to Wade Hampton Boulevard Wednesday that are aimed at making the road safer for all who use it.

City Council adopted the Wade Hampton Boulevard Strategic Plan in 2019. Since then, the city has planned to improve the section of the boulevard from Church Street to Pleasantburg Drive.

“Right now, it’s an industrial corridor,” City Council Member John DeWorken, who represents District 1, said. “It’s seven lanes. It’s wide. You have people going 70 mph down it. It’s not safe. It’s not pedestrian friendly. It doesn’t spur economic activity. The idea is how to transform what really is an Eisenhower-era interstate to now a neighborhood boulevard.”

According to city data, there is an average of 60 crashes on that stretch of Wade Hampton Boulevard each year. An estimated 29,000 cars drive on the road each day. That is expected to rise to 36,000 cars by 2044.

“We want the street to be calm,” Clint Link, Greenville’s Director of Engineering Services, said. “We want safe crosswalks. We want to accommodate all the users of the road – the cyclists, pedestrians and vehicles.”

The city is proposing adding a grassy median to the center of Wade Hampton Boulevard and building more crosswalks, traffic signals, turn lanes and signalized U-turns. One of the biggest proposed changes is reducing the now seven-lane road to five lanes so bike lanes can be built on each side of the road. However, some are worried this will create more congestion.

“How will that work with more traffic?” Cathy Stuckey asked. “I’m no traffic engineer, but will it really help the traffic situation?”

According to the city, the lane reduction will add 28 seconds of travel time to commutes.

“The new design features they have on this boulevard are not going to significantly add time at all,” DeWorken explained. “It’s going to continue to reduce log jams, continue to reduce congestion, and it’s going to continue moving cars efficiently, safely and timely through this corridor.”

Near Harris Teeter, engineers want to realign the intersection of Wade Hampton Boulevard and Church Street so traffic flows more smoothly. They said this will force drivers to slow down.

“You can fly through the intersection right now if you have the green light,” Link explained. “It will really slow cars coming down to that heavy commercialized area where we do see a lot of pedestrian activity now.”

“I’ve even tried riding my bike down to the Harris Teeter,” Jennifer Mcclure said. “It was pretty terrifying trying to ride on the sidewalks. It’s just not a safe way to utilize the space. I think it’ll be a lot safer.”

The city is hopeful these changes will connect surrounding neighborhoods, drive more customers to nearby businesses and lead to more economic development around Wade Hampton Boulevard.

“Transforming Wade Hampton Boulevard is a key aspect of the overall economic revitalization along this corridor,” Link said.

The plans presented Wednesday have not been finalized. If you would like to give your feedback on the city’s proposals, you can fill out a survey.

Link said they hope to begin construction at the end of 2025 or early 2026.

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