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I know that most us on these websites truly want to encourage the urban built environment, but should Greenville begin thinking about building a beltline to ease congestion, especially for the east side of town? There are very few roads that could be developed as a boulevard or parkway type of road. As Greenville continues to develop, the situation is only bound to get worse and development will be forced to follow I-85 out towards Spartanburg or down 385. Each of those development patterns will increase the spread of sprawl.
I think that if Greenville builds a parkway then it could help encourage infill within the parkway, especially in North Greenville County. What are thoughts on this idea? Should we build a parkway/beltline? Should we build it somewhere else? Should we upgrade other roads to be more like a boulevard? Could we incorporate something into a future beltline to appease more people (ROW for future transit, bike/walking trails etc.)?
Below I did a quick map that would include part of the beltline (the part that would be needed the soonest/the part that will become the hardest to build the quickest). I think the part from I-85 to Wade Hampton Blvd. should be built as soon as possible. Open land is becoming a rare commodity over there and action needs to happen before it is completely built out. I thought about having it loop on the other side of the airport but I think that would be too close to Greer and the number of houses 385 and the proposed loop really need a major artery road.
Then I would say that I-85 to Woodruff Rd. would be good to be proactive. Woodruff to 418 (Fountain Inn) and Wade Hampton Blvd. to Poinsett Hwy. would be the last two parts. Eventually it may be beneficial to extend it from Poinsett Hwy. to Easley as that area grows. It would also help bring some development to Pickens County which really needs some help.
Wade Hampton Blvd, Poinsett Hwy and Scuffletown/Woodruff Rd should be upgraded to boulevard type roads with designated turning lanes and access roads where appropriate.
What do you guys think? Any suggestions? Hopefully besides NIMBY.
I know that most us on these websites truly want to encourage the urban built environment, but should Greenville begin thinking about building a beltline to ease congestion, especially for the east side of town? There are very few roads that could be developed as a boulevard or parkway type of road. As Greenville continues to develop, the situation is only bound to get worse and development will be forced to follow I-85 out towards Spartanburg or down 385. Each of those development patterns will increase the spread of sprawl.
I think that if Greenville builds a parkway then it could help encourage infill within the parkway, especially in North Greenville County. What are thoughts on this idea? Should we build a parkway/beltline? Should we build it somewhere else? Should we upgrade other roads to be more like a boulevard? Could we incorporate something into a future beltline to appease more people (ROW for future transit, bike/walking trails etc.)?
Below I did a quick map that would include part of the beltline (the part that would be needed the soonest/the part that will become the hardest to build the quickest). I think the part from I-85 to Wade Hampton Blvd. should be built as soon as possible. Open land is becoming a rare commodity over there and action needs to happen before it is completely built out. I thought about having it loop on the other side of the airport but I think that would be too close to Greer and the number of houses 385 and the proposed loop really need a major artery road.
Then I would say that I-85 to Woodruff Rd. would be good to be proactive. Woodruff to 418 (Fountain Inn) and Wade Hampton Blvd. to Poinsett Hwy. would be the last two parts. Eventually it may be beneficial to extend it from Poinsett Hwy. to Easley as that area grows. It would also help bring some development to Pickens County which really needs some help.
Wade Hampton Blvd, Poinsett Hwy and Scuffletown/Woodruff Rd should be upgraded to boulevard type roads with designated turning lanes and access roads where appropriate.
What do you guys think? Any suggestions? Hopefully besides NIMBY.
SCDOT is broke. I don't think a new beltline is needed or will be anytime soon. What we think of as traffic is brushed off in other places. Our money would be better spend getting I85 in better shape. Additional lanes on I85 would be better than a completely new road which may cost in the $500m range or more. I don't think this area can afford constructing that kind of road.
They should build it, add a toll road, and have nobody use it. Doesn't that sound like a great idea?
I think there's an extreme difference between the Southern Connector and a boulevard type road on the East side. The Southern Connector shouldn't have been built. There isn't a need for a road on that side of town. Greenville is very lopsided in its development pattern. There isn't hardly anything in the area and what is in the area is a few decades old. The east side at least needs a few roads upgraded to have less lights, curb cuts, etc. at least in my opinion. It seems like it isn't a popular opinion though since I-185 was a debacle and left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.
Do you think that Wade Hampton Blvd and Poinsett Highway should be reworked or do you think they work well as they are? Also something needs to be done with Woodruff Road but I know there are plans for that (which will probably get built out 10 or 15 years too late).
If the growth we are seeing in eastern Greenville County now occurred 30 years ago, then we could have easily supported the need for and could have invested in such a beltline. In present times, these areas are infilling and would be difficult for such road to be realized.
Such a beltline can be created using an existing network of roads, some that will be improved in several years. SC-14 from Simpsonville to Greer, Buncombe Road in Greer, and SC-290 from Greer to US-25 above Travelers Rest can fulfill that beltway. Long term plans for SC-14 from Simpsonville to Pelham Road and SC-290 from Greer to US-25 include improving the existing roadway to four lanes, two in each direction, a turn lane, and bike lanes. There are possibilities of landscaped medians.
Wade Hampton Boulevard and Poinsett Highway act as boulevard already. Wade Hampton Boulevard, from Taylors to Spartanburg, and Poinsett Highway from Cherrydale Point up to University Plaza can take on bike lanes and landscaped medians easily.
Greenville has for decades needed an access controlled road to tie US25 north of Travelers Rest to I-85.
I had a job 20 years ago on Poinsett and lived on the southwest side of town. The 10 mile drive took anywhere from 30 - 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Poinsett Highway and Whitehorse Road are both choked with redlights and hard to navigate. Building a real highway to connect north of Travelers Rest back to I-85 would help the development of the North side of town to balance all of the growth out towards Simpsonville.
Combine that with a highway to connect the access controlled part of US123 that goes to Clemson back into I-85 and it would do a lot for the entire region.
That being said, I would be surprised if anything is built in the foreseeable future.
If I-185 could split from US-29 before Exit 15 (US-25, White Horse Road), cross the Saluda Ruver, merge with SC-153 between Powdersville and US-123, then split from SC-153 heading back to US-25 for an extension, you open Pickens and northwestern Greenville counties to the Interstate Highway System. Because of the infill over the past 20 years, that idea will never proceed.
Another idea of possible consideration is an elevated expressway along White Horse Road. This is a concept under consideration with Abercorn in Savannah, Georgia. The drawbacks here are costs and traffic volume.
If I-185 could split from US-29 before Exit 15 (US-25, White Horse Road), cross the Saluda Ruver, merge with SC-153 between Powdersville and US-123, then split from SC-153 heading back to US-25 for an extension, you open Pickens and northwestern Greenville counties to the Interstate Highway System. Because of the infill over the past 20 years, that idea will never proceed.
Another idea of possible consideration is an elevated expressway along White Horse Road. This is a concept under consideration with Abercorn in Savannah, Georgia. The drawbacks here are costs and traffic volume.
Eventually something will have to be done though or Greenville will eventually choke off it's development. It will be many years down the road, but it will happen. Maybe if they don't build anymore roads, then downtown will just continue to grow. The development of the city is strange to me since I grew up in Columbia. Paris Mountain definitely affected development patterns in the region. It's really strange how the development barely exists on the West and North side of Greenville.
I dont think there is a need for more roads except for one going with Woodruff.
Just expand a road if there is the need.
Portland put a stop to "circle highways" and its caused an increase in urbanism. Would be good for GV too.
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