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45-414: The route first starts at the interchange with S.C. 707 with a trumpet interchange where it then heads northwest before curving northeast. The route then makes an interchange at S.C. 544 near Socastee where it continues on for about four miles before reaching the interchange with U.S. Route 501 which S.C. 31 has an unusual hybrid interchange with US   501 , similar to a cloverstack , with elements of

90-566: A South Carolina House of Representatives delegation made up of 10 state representatives. In addition, the county has a South Carolina Senate delegation made up of five state senators. The delegations work concurrently to represent county issues in Columbia . The county's State House of Representatives delegation is currently made up of: The county's State Senate delegation is currently made up of: The county council of Horry County consists of members who represent 11 single-member districts with

135-480: A trumpet interchange , in which two flyover ramps from S.C. 31 to U.S. Route 501 exit left from S.C. 31 and wrap around the interchange's loop ramps. After the interchange, it continues at an easterly direction towards the interchange with Grissom Parkway/International Drive followed by Water Tower Road which eventually reaches the interchange with S.C. 22 with a two-level cloverstack interchange . S.C. 31 then heads for about eight miles before reaching

180-536: A bypass around it costing $ 150 million. Some members of the task force and Myrtle Beach city council were concerned that the road would be built farther away from the traffic problem areas. Had the parkway not been built until years later, the costs would have increased dramatically due to future homes in Carolina Forest in the path of the roadway. Another issue with the road was how much traffic it would carry and how many lanes it should carry. The recommendation

225-564: A chairman voted at-large. The county council meets at the Horry County Government and Justice Center in the first week of every month. Patricia S. Hartley is the clerk to council, members of the county council include: The Horry County Police Department provides 24-hour services to the unincorporated areas of the county. It is the only county police department in South Carolina. The Horry County Sheriff's Office

270-635: A faster route to deliver and remove materials for subdivisions in Carolina Forest. The first phase opened on December 17, 2002. The North Myrtle Beach Connector runs from the Parkway between SC 22 and SC 9 east to Main Street in N. Myrtle Beach . This road, now known as Robert Edge Parkway , opened Sept. 3, 2009. Phase II was completed in March 2005 and follows a former logging road and

315-479: A geographic ridge formation. A second bridge was built at the intersection with US 501 . The completion of Phase III was completed and open to traffic November 7, 2019, taking it to SC 707 . The third phase had been changed several times due to environmental issues concerning the surrounding area. This will be the future terminus of Interstate 74, as funding cannot allow for the possible extensions to Georgetown or Charleston that had once been planned in

360-546: A measure that would have levied a 1 percent sales tax countywide to pay for future road infrastructure in the Myrtle Beach area, including what would be a bypass to alleviate traffic problems in Myrtle Beach and the future Carolina Forest development. South Carolina Governor David Beasley created a local task force in May 1996 to determine short-term and long-term goals for the greater Grand Strand. The concept that came out of

405-812: A new program, the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank, to help pay for the state's portion of the Carolina Bays Parkway and Conway Bypass. The plan did not increase existing taxes from the state. Governor Beasley signed the bill on June 26 "that ended years of bitter disputes." In January 1998, the Joint Bond Review Committee approved the funding necessary for the Carolina Bays Parkway and other projects in Horry County. Wetlands mitigation began in March 1998 with

450-551: Is Conway . Horry County is the central county in the Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area . It is in the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, about 90 miles (140 km) north of Charleston , and about 130 miles (210 km) east of the state capital, Columbia . Horry County (pronounced OR-ree) was created from Georgetown District in 1801. At this time,

495-593: Is in Horry County . South Carolina Highway 31 Connector ( SC 31 ) is a 2.300-mile (3.701 km) connector route that uses Robert Edge Parkway from North Myrtle Beach . It serves to connect U.S. Route 17 (US 17), SC 31, and SC 90 . It is an unsigned highway . Socastee, South Carolina Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

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540-515: Is responsible for courthouse security, processing of warrants, fingerprinting, registration of sex offenders, funeral escorts, background checks, and managing the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. The South Carolina Highway Patrol has a Troop 5 barracks in Conway, and provides services throughout the county. Myrtle Beach, Conway, Briarcliffe Acres, Atlantic Beach, Surfside Beach, Loris, and Aynor all have their own police departments, which patrol within

585-632: Is the largest county by land area in South Carolina. The highest point in the county is 124 feet (38 m) above sea level. Horry County is in the northeastern corner of South Carolina. It is a diverse land made up of rivers, beaches, forests, and swamps, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Little Pee Dee River and Drowning Creek (also known as the Lumber River ) on its western side, and North Carolina to

630-689: The Waccamaw River to connect to US 701 from Socastee . If built, it would destroy approximately 300 acres (1.2 km) of wetlands on the river near Sandy Island. Near the road's southern terminus in Surfside Beach , the road's plan would also split and partially destroy the Holmestown community. Two options were presented to either continue the road as Holmestown Road or to build a road that intersects it and continues to US 17 . David Farren, an environmental lawyer, argued that

675-664: The 1990s, today, there are almost no elected Democrats left above the county level. No Democratic presidential candidate has received more than 40% of the county's vote since 2000. In 2022, the GDP was $ 18.3 billion (about $ 45,922 per capita), and the real GDP was $ 15.3 billion (about $ 38,472 per capita) in chained 2017 dollars . In 2013, PTR Industries, a gunmaker, relocated to the Cool Springs Business Park near Aynor from Bristol, Connecticut . That state had passed restrictive gun control legislation following

720-474: The Carolina Bays Parkway was a "developer's road" in the sense that it encouraged more "fringe" growth rather than allay current traffic problems. Although the plan for funding for building the highway was approved by Horry County, the state would have to contribute funding in order to commence construction. On June 17, 1997, both the House of Representatives and Senate of South Carolina approved for funding and for

765-536: The Earth , both argued against the need for the road from economic and environmental perspectives. Most of the traffic that the road was meant to alleviate would not be centered in the area; most of the Myrtle Beach traffic problems would be too far away and on the opposite side of the Intracoastal Waterway . Split off as part of a separate project, the road's plan called for a spur route to be built across

810-412: The Horry County Government and Justice Center. The sculpture was designed by artist Garland Weeks . Coastal Monument of Conway designed the stone base. The base of the sculpture is inscribed with the names of the 1801 commissioners on one side and the names of 2011 Horry County Council members on the other; a brief biography of General Peter Horry is on the front. It cost slightly more than $ 16,200 for both

855-407: The area has become a destination for retirees and people owning second homes. It has been developed for resorts and retirement communities. The majority-White residents have constituted a majority-Republican voter base since the late 20th century. On October 29, 2012, the county paid homage to the man for whom the county is named. It commissioned a bronze sculpture of Peter Horry, installing it inside

900-570: The bust/sculpture and the stone base. In addition to official and academic resources, local history enthusiasts have contributed to preserving Horry County’s heritage. One example is the Horry County Legacy Project, a website dedicated to documenting and sharing the county’s history. The project, available through the Horry County Museum which features articles, photographs, and other resources that highlight

945-491: The county had an estimated population of 550. Isolated by the many rivers and swamps typical of the South Carolina Lowcountry, the area essentially was surrounded by water, forcing its inhabitants to survive without much assistance from the "outside world". This caused the county residents to become an extremely independent populace, and they named their county "The Independent Republic of Horry". The county

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990-402: The county. The population density was 237.5 inhabitants per square mile (91.7/km ). The 185,992 housing units averaged 164.0 per square mile (63.3/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 79.9% White, 13.4% Black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 6.2% of

1035-406: The county’s cultural and historical development. Local historian Nicholas Gallagher has played a significant role in curating and presenting the content on this platform. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,254.73 square miles (3,249.7 km ), of which 1,133.31 square miles (2,935.3 km ) is land and 121.42 square miles (314.5 km ) (9.68%) is water. It

1080-426: The delay. Illegal filling of wetlands in sections already completed was one reason. To get the project approved, the area of wetlands to be filled was reduced by 24 acres from the original plan. A groundbreaking was held at the planned interchange between the parkway and S.C. 707 on November 6, 2013. Work was to start the next month on the 3.8-mile project, expected to cost between $ 225 and $ 237 million. Nearly all of

1125-464: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 203650303 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:46:17 GMT Horry County Horry County ( / ˈ ɒr iː / OR -ree ) is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of South Carolina . As of the 2020 census , its population was 351,029. It is the fourth-most populous county in South Carolina. The county seat

1170-426: The early 1990s. The change in the parkway's route meant more loss of wetlands and streams, though some wetland areas will be preserved. Project manager Mike Barbee said the goal was to award contracts by Fall 2010. The extension was delayed for two years after changes in the design, making the cost $ 15 million higher. The Coastal Conservation League objected to the changes, though the league denied being responsible for

1215-474: The efforts of State Rep. Tracy Edge to get the northern extension built, claiming the northeastern part of the county did not need such a highway, and that North Carolina had not set a definite route for Interstate 74 to which the road could connect. Currently, the northern extension is unfunded, waiting in part on NCDOT to finalize its routing of Interstate 74 in southeastern North Carolina. In November 2019, NCDOT and SCDOT released maps of nine corridors that

1260-551: The funding was to come from the State Infrastructure Bank, with $ 10 million in stimulus money and $ 2 million in sales tax money. Interstate 74 ( I-74 ) is a potential planned renumbering of SC 31, which could happen once the highway is extended north into North Carolina , connecting with US 17 . Known as the northern extension, it would closely parallel County Road 57 in South Carolina. Between 2002 and 2004, State Sen. David Elliott opposed

1305-494: The highway from US 501 to SC 9 , a length of 21.9 miles (35.2 km). In October 1999, a team was created by the South Carolina Department of Transportation named Palmetto Transportation Constructors to help with all aspects of the construction process of the first phase of the Carolina Bays Parkway. Included were nine firms, including Flatiron Structures Company of Longmont, Colorado , who were

1350-524: The interchange at S.C. 90 (Robert Edge Parkway) near North Myrtle Beach before it reaches the trumpet interchange with S.C. 9 near Little River . The road that would eventually become Carolina Bays Parkway was planned as early as 1989 by then-U.S. Representative Robin Tallon . The roadway would ease traffic problems in Myrtle Beach , especially on US 17 Bypass . The road derives its name from

1395-460: The new roadway. A predominant idea at the time for funding would call for a 1.5 percent hospitality tax, along with state funding, to finish the SC ;22 and construct the Carolina Bays Parkway. In August, the committee made several recommendations. One proposed that instead of the $ 750 million cost associated with the entire parkway, only a portion would be built around N. Myrtle Beach to create

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1440-480: The north. The Waccamaw River , around 140 miles (230 km) long, runs through southeastern North Carolina and eastern South Carolina into Horry County. The river runs through the coastal plain, along the eastern border between the two states, and into the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2020 census , 351,029 people, 140,260 households, and 89,281 families were residing in the county. At the 2010 census , 269,291 people, 112,225 households, and 72,254 families resided in

1485-488: The northern extension could take. NCDOT currently has the extension of the highway under "Projects in developments," but only shows an extension into Brunswick County connecting to US 17 and does not mention of I-74. Horry County, South Carolina currently has the extension of SC 31 in their RIDE III projects. The extension project is currently estimated to cost $ 550 million with NCDOT paying about $ 360 million while South Carolina pays around $ 185 million. The entire highway

1530-429: The overpass at Water Tower Road, requiring the dirt road to be relocated to the overpass. The interchange with Robert Grissom Parkway was to be opened as a partial interchange, with further study to be done on converting it into a full interchange with International Drive to connect to Carolina Forest . Before the official opening, many were using the road as an unofficial bypass around the highways in Myrtle Beach and as

1575-546: The parkway would be funded in a larger $ 550 million program. The following month, Horry County Council approved the hospitality tax for "Plan B" in an 8–3 vote. The tourism industry in Myrtle Beach was largely supportive of increasing the hospitality tax because area traffic was a large problem. The tax took effect in January 1997 and would end in twenty years. The planning of the highway was not without controversy. Two lobbying groups, Taxpayers for Common Sense and Friends of

1620-503: The population. In terms of ancestry, 15.3% were American , 13.4% were African American (which can include other ethnicities), 13.3% were Irish , 12.8% were German , 11.3% were English , and 6.1% were Italian . Of the 112,225 households, 27.3% had children under 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were not families, and 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size

1665-552: The primary construction firm. The road would tentatively be completed in 30 months at a cost of $ 232 million. Construction commenced in December 1999, two months behind schedule as permits were being issued. The contract was signed on March 10, 2000, with a completion date of July 24, 2003. Most of the construction work was completed by November 2002. Although the road was meant to open in July of that year, delays came when constructing

1710-525: The rejection of the sales tax increase would be called "Plan B." The commission set up became what is currently known as the Road Improvement and Development Effort , or RIDE, headed by Gary Loftus , a former highway commissioner. To avoid the difficulties that occurred with the failed tax increase, the committee sought ideas from the community. A series of public hearings were held in late June and early July 1996 to determine what would be best for

1755-466: The relevant town or city's border. North Myrtle Beach has a Public Safety Department, which provides police and fire services in the city of North Myrtle Beach. In March 2020, Todd Cox, a former Horry County police officer, was fined $ 300 for failing to investigate reports of sex crimes against children. He and three other officers had been indicted in 2016 on charges of coercing sex and ignoring cases. Horry County used to be loyally Democratic, even by

1800-435: The scaled-back version of the road affecting 60 less acres (240,000 m) than originally planned; 240 acres (0.97 km) of wetlands would finally be affected. A report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the path would not disrupt endangered plants. The final route of the highway was approved on June 25, 1998, with approvals by South Carolina and the federal government later that year. Phase I consists of

1845-574: The standards of the Solid South . In 1936, Republican candidate Alf Landon did not receive a single vote in Horry County. In 1964, though, Barry Goldwater carried the county by a margin almost as large as John F. Kennedy 's 1960 margin. It has voted Republican in every election since, with the exception of supporting the third-party candidacy of Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968 and neighboring Georgia's Jimmy Carter in 1976. While conservative Democrats continued to hold most local offices into

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1890-527: The various Carolina bays located west of the Intracoastal Waterway that would be close to the road. The following year, the Carolina Bays Parkway Task Force was established to help develop a plan for how the road would be built. The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act was passed to allow the road to receive $ 9.6 million in federal funding as part of Corridor 5 . In March 1996, voters in Horry County defeated

1935-461: Was 2.37, and the average family size was 2.84. The median age was 41.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 43,142 and for a family was $ 51,608. Males had a median income of $ 37,351 versus $ 29,525 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,811. About 11.6% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.2% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over. Horry County has

1980-506: Was given as two lanes with land available for a future six lanes. A later committee suggestion proposed four lanes. When the highway was finally built, it would be six lanes throughout. When the Carolina Bays Parkway Task Force finished up its proposals on September 11, 1996, it asked for South Carolina to pay for $ 20 million per year in RIDE road projects and $ 15 million per year from the 1.5 percent proposed hospitality tax. The northern third of

2025-506: Was named after, and in honor of, Revolutionary War hero Peter Horry who was born in South Carolina around 1743. Horry started his military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains, elected by the Provincial Congress of South Carolina, to serve the 1st and 2nd Regiments. In 1790, he was assigned to the South Carolina militia under Brigadier General Francis Marion . The population has increased more than fourfold since 1970, as

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