DOT nixes the idea of a two-lane Main Street

The South Carolina DOT has told Walhalla to forget about any idea that Main Street downtown may be narrowed to two lanes as part of the city’s streetscape project. In the presence today of State Representative Bill Whitmire, Mayor Danny Edwards told Mayor Pro-tem Tjay Bagwell that reducing Main downtown, from four to two lanes, is something the state won’t allow. And Whitmire reacted by saying it’s likely the only way the state would approve two lanes would be if the city were agreeable to four-lane nearby Broad Street. Walhalla had sought the DOT’s permission to convert Main downtown to two lanes as a test only on June 27, but the mayor says the DOT won’t even agree to a test. In the meantime streetscape, a remake of the downtown’s core business area, is proceeding, according to Edwards. And anyone who would like to view a concept of what it might look like can do so by accessing a video through the Partners for Progress website.