The $36 million Sunset Split project designed to fix major traffic problems that have plagued the Sunset Boulevard and Corley Mill corridor for years appears ready to roll.
The latest development in the plan was a public meeting hosted by the town of Lexington on July 10 to invite public input and answer questions with town staff and engineers on hand.
In an interview with the Chronicle, Mayor Pro-Tem Ron Williams said a large number of people showed up for the meeting, many of them from out of town. He said the meeting went well as town officials heard various concerns about the project, which will affect the travel of some 50,000 vehicles that pass through the corridor daily.
Williams said citizens expressed their views and asked questions about various aspects of the project.
He said the town staff has compiled a list of various issues raised about the project for further review.
He said the questions citizens raised about the new road improvements plan were the kind of concerns town officials were expecting. No one appeared to be angry about the plan, he said. They just wanted to know the details.
Lexington Town Administrator Rachelle Gleaton also attended the meeting and expressed similar views in an interview with the Chronicle. She said the concerns expressed by citizens did not reflect any particular problems with the project. She said the public did not display a negative view of the plan.
Gleaton said public input was sought when the plan was first announced, and has continued to have an impact as the project is being developed.
Williams said he expects “some changes may be made” as a result of the input as the project continues to be developed.
The traffic problem in the corridor has been documented as one of the worst in the state, with some 50,000 vehicles passing through daily.
Sunset Boulevard, also known as U.S. 378, serves as the primary connector between the towns of Lexington and West Columbia.
The town plans to correct the problem with a dedicated fund of approximately $35 million.
To do this, Lexington officials plan to reallocate $16 million that’s been sitting in the bank from a project that lost support in 2023.
That project called for a 93-acre Lexington development that was going to include a conference center, nearly a thousand townhomes and single-family homes. But there was a lot of opposition, prompting the council to cancel the project.
Now, that money will be added to $19.6 million worth of hospitality tax and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district funds, providing a total of almost $36 million for the project.
To rid traffic congestion and help traffic flow, the project will split eastbound and westbound traffic lanes on U.S. 378, and re-adjust Riverchase Way and Corley Mill Road locations along the corridor.
Construction is projected to start in late 2025, with an anticipated completion date sometime in 2027.