GETTING ANSWERS: Stallings Road follow up

Published: May. 26, 2022 at 4:09 PM EDT

TAYLORS, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - We are following up on a road we covered, in 2021: Stallings Road.

It’s in Greenville County, in the Taylors area. You’ll find it between Rutherford Road and Old Rutherford Road.

Last year, the state’s Department of Transportation said they were in the early, planning stages, in December and that work on the road had a letting date in January 2022. Stallings Road is a part of their 2021-2022 Pavement Improvement Program.

Six months later, drivers tell us barely anything has changed. They expected that by May 2022, they’d start seeing some work.

Arthur and Sandra Swelling live near Stallings Road and own a business called The Traditionalist, LLC. off the road.

“Just about every time we get out and go somewhere, we wonder, how long is it going to take? The patches are getting so close together, they could almost have paved the road,” Arthur said.

Bobby Kelley co-owns Smokin’ Blues Barbecue Restaurant off Stallings Road.

“The condition of the road is terrible,” Kelley said, “It’s to the point, now, where it’s beyond ridiculous. It’s dangerous,” He continues, “I don’t notice anything different. If anything, it’s worse.”

That’s because the SCDOT says work hasn’t started yet.

Kelley says his customers complain all the time.

“I hear a lot of people around here talking, because I run the bar here. And it’s not just me, it’s everybody,” Kelley said, “Everybody that comes in here has something to say about the roads.”

Arthur and Sandra have lived in the area for around 30 years. We asked them when is the last time they’ve seen the road paved.

“I can’t remember one,” said Arthur.

“Yea, it has just been patching,” Sandra said.

The DOT says they are uncertain of the last time Stallings Road was paved.

The Welling family has seen the changes over the years.

“It used to be that we could go out of our driveway, and get on the road, and go up to the red light, and, maybe, there would be five cars, at the most, at the red light,” said Arthur, “Now, it could be 45.”

The car-length patches are still hanging in there.

“Like driving an old, country dirt road, sometimes, with potholes. It’s just amazing,” said Kelley.

The SCDOT says 13 vehicles have filed damage claims over the past few years.

We asked for an update on the Stallings Road project. They say construction signage should be going up this week. And work is to begin this Summer. They are finalizing the schedule now.

Sandra hopes there won’t be any patching in the meantime.

“The amount of traffic is probably triple or more. So, yeah, we know that is not a permanent fix when you’ve got that much traffic,” Sandra said.

Crews will add two-foot shoulders along with new, surface asphalt and new, pavement markings. The anticipated completion date is July 2023.

Arthur feels the road won’t hold up much longer.

“No, it’s not holding up,” Arthur continues, “It’s just a matter of time. They will be up here patching again.”

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