By Betsy Finklea
South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) officials met with the Latta Town Council recently to discuss the highway construction project on Highway 301 South.
Mitchell Metts of SCDOT said there were utility lines in conflict with the project that have to be moved. Metts said with any highway project it has to be resolved who has prior rights. He said if the utility can establish prior rights then they can qualify for federal money to move the lines, and if not, it has to be paid for in some other way. It would not fall on SCDOT to pay.
Mayor Nancy Brigman said the town was put under pressure to sign on with the $10 million federally funded TIGER grant and was told that doing otherwise would hurt the state. All of the politicians promised help, Brigman said. She said he could see what they have and where they are and the dilemma.
Metts said he was sympathetic to the issue and that it was a difficult situation, but SCDOT needed something from the town on how the town plans to address this matter.
Brigman said she didn’t like the mess there now and would like it to be corrected.
Metts said all they were looking for was to get people on the ground.
There was a discussion about where the stopping point was and why they stopped where they stopped.
Metts said that anything SCDOT pays for will be the town’s responsibility to pay for in the long run. He said they will seek reimbursement from the town. Metts said the job has to be finished.
Town Attorney Glenn Greene said that the town gave SCDOT the right-of-way to put in 301 and that should be prior rights. Metts said that SCDOT would look at this and be fair in their decision.
Concerns were also expressed about the flooding on Willis Street.
Metts said that they would like to have the cooperation of the town, but if the town says not then SCDOT has more decisions to make.
Councilman Alex Stoops said that the state got $10 million and that Latta got a bill. He said that another interstate would be nice, but it was not really doing anything for the town.
There was further discussion. It was stated that there was nothing for the council to decide on, and that SCDOT would work with Water Department Head Harold Snipes.