Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Bennettsville — Friday marked a day many in Marlboro County had been anticipating for years. Academy Road reopened after suffering extensive damage during Hurricane Florence in 2018.
State leaders, Representative Patricia Moore Henegan and Senator Gerald Malloy were on the scene to celebrate the reopening of the road that runs over the McNairs Millpond Dam.
Malloy said, “This is a great day in Marlboro County and for the people here that enjoy this beautiful area for recreation and count on our roads to take them to work and school. I want to thank the South Carolina Department of Transportation for their work to help get this project across the finish line.”
Secretary of Transportation Justin P. Powell said, “South Carolina is no stranger to natural disasters, but our team at SCDOT is committed to helping communities recover and to keeping South Carolinians moving. I appreciate the collaboration between state and local officials to ensure the repairs were made and the roadway could be reopened.”
SCDOT worked very closely with the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services and the dam owner to make repair plans to repair the area around the dam and to rebuild and repair the roadway over the dam.
The closure of Academy Road had significant implications for daily life in Marlboro County. Commuters had to navigate longer routes to access services, schools, and jobs, leading to increased travel times and frustration. The SCDOT’s work involved not only repairing the road but also enhancing the dam structure to ensure long-term stability and safety.