GETTING ANSWERS: Jameson Road

PICKENS COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - We are looking into driver’s concerns about Jameson Road, in Pickens County.

The road runs about seven miles through Pickens and Easley. You’ll find it between Highway 183 and Lendhart Road.

Drivers describe it as trashy and in terrible condition.

Nancy Whitford says the road can ruin a lady’s reputation.

“My sister says I drive like a drunk, but it’s not. It’s the potholes,” Whitford said.

Jameson Road shows no mercy to her vehicle, William Landers’ vehicle, nor the other two thousand people who drive it daily.

“It beats the suspension in your vehicle really, really bad. The front bumper on my truck rattles because of this road,” said Landers.

There’s a bad spot near where Jameson intersects with 183 a second time.

Lonnie Blake has lived off this road for 40 years.

“A lot of bumps, a lot of potholes you have to dodge,” Blake said.

Blake has worked in the landscaping business. He says he’d rather drive over rocks with his lawn mower than the potholes on Jameson Road.

The state’s Department of Transportation says only one vehicle has filed damage claims since last year.

Landers has lived in the area all of his life. He says road work is long overdue.

“They’ve had 16 years of my time, coming back and forth on it,” Landers said, “How much longer is it going to take with this road getting worse? Because it was bad 16 years ago, and it’s worse now.”

No word on the last time this road was paved. However, the SCDOT fixed seven potholes over the past year.

“They don’t stay long enough when they’re patching them and everything. They seem like they just put a little bit of gravel and tar on them,” said Blake, “And certainly, after time, they start back like they were.”

Blake and Landers say bad weather makes the road worse.

“When it rains, the center fills full of water,” Landers said, “And it makes it hard to drive in the puddled water.”

The DOT says it hasn’t gotten any complaints or requests about weather conditions, nor evidence of any problems.

“We pay enough in taxes. We already do,” said Whitford, “Fix the road before somebody gets killed.”

Jameson Road is on the SCDOT’s 2022 Pavement Improvement Program. It’s currently under contract for a large resurfacing package. And the goal is for completion in August 2023.

“A day late and a dollar short; do it a lot sooner,” Whitford said, “It needs it.”

There are also plans for the addition of a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 135 (Dacusville Highway) and Jameson Road. The contract hasn’t been awarded yet.

Report a road here.

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