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Upper Savannah COG presents roadway-departure plan to Edgefield County Council
Summary
A regional roadway-departure safety plan, developed with Federal Highway Administration input, was presented to Edgefield County Council; the plan lists countermeasures (wider edge striping, rumble strips, reflective signs), identifies county-specific collision locations and is intended to be adopted by the COG board and used to pursue DOT funding and grants.
A representative of the Upper Savannah Council of Governments told Edgefield County Council on Aug. 6 about a regional "roadway departure" plan intended to reduce crashes where vehicles leave the roadway and strike objects or oncoming traffic.
Rick Green, government services director for the COG, described the four primary contributing factors identified in the plan — driver impairment, not wearing seat belts, running off the road, and speeding — and summarized recommended countermeasures such as increasing edge-striping width, adding rumble strips, and installing reflective posts and signs near curves. He said the Federal Highway Administration supported the plan and that this is the first regional plan of its kind for the COG area.
Green noted the state owns most roads, so implementation will require coordination with the South Carolina Department of Transportation; the plan includes county-specific maps and GIS data to identify where countermeasures would be most effective. He said the COG board planned to adopt the plan in August to position the region for grant applications. Council members thanked Green for prior work on local intersections and asked about the plan’s replicability; Green replied that Federal Highways would like each region to develop a similar plan.
What happens next: Staff advised counties to consult DOT and consider implementing countermeasures on county-maintained roads. The COG expects to adopt the plan and pursue funding opportunities.
