ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation is asking for input about an intersection in Anderson County.
The intersection, located in a rural area, has had dozens of accidents in just a few years.
Between 2020 and 2023, Keith Riddle, an SCDOT Traffic Engineer, said 29 accidents occurred on US 178 at the Baugh Road and Ruhamah Road intersection.
Of the accidents, 20 of them were right angle crashes that resulted in six injuries.
“The plan is to install a roundabout,” said Riddle. “It’s currently a four-way stop. Roundabouts are really effective at reducing those angle crashes.”
Rose Schecter who lives by US 178, or Liberty Highway, said she’s seen the accidents herself and she approves of the project.
“It’s been bad. I don’t know if the four-way stop has helped, but I don’t know if [the roundabout] will make it better, but I hope so,” said Schecter.
After almost two decades of living next to the road, she says she’s had to replace her mailbox multiple times.
Additionally, if you drive too slow on US 178, drivers get upset.
“It’s a noisy road because people cut through coming from Clemson,” said Schecter. “They’ll try to pass you with the double yellow line in places. US 178 is busy.”
Sarah Miller is a high school science teacher who drives US 178 every morning to work. She agrees with Schecter’s assessment.
“A lot of times, people going on US 178, it’s a fast road, and they just don’t see the stop sign sometimes,” said Miller.
According to the SCDOT project page online, if the plan is approved, construction would begin in early 2026, lasting about 18 months.
However, Miller said she told traffic engineers at the meeting that she’d like to see some flowers added to the future round about.
“One thing we can definitely do is maybe add wildflowers or something. Just something small. It doesn’t have to be too costly but something we could just put in the middle would be nice because I do drive it every day,” said Miller. “It’d be nice to have a little something in the center.”
Miller explained that her students who see the flowers in the morning might walk into her class in a better mood.
Feedback regarding the roundabout can be given to SCDOT online until Oct. 4.
