Horry County voters have to answer one local question on November’s ballot. What is it? – MASHAHER

This November, Horry County voters will only have one local question to answer on the ballot.

And it’s about roads and taxes.

On the last page of the ballot, voters will be asked to approve or vote against Ride IV, a special use 1% tax that will collect money for a lengthy list of road projects to be completed.

In total, the referendum asks for the special use sales to be implemented for the next 25 years or until the county collects $6,350,000,000, whichever comes first.

This ballot question is the fourth time that Horry County voters have been faced with whether or not to approve the special sales tax for road work.

Previously, voters have successfully passed Ride I, Ride II and Ride III.

This time around, one of the most talked about construction projects in this part of South Carolina, Interstate 73, is listed as one of the projects that Ride IV would fund if it’s passed.

Earlier this year, county commissioners voted in council meetings to add the proposed I-73 route to the county’s GIS map.

In addition to completing the unfinished Ride III construction projects for an estimated $150,000,000, Horry County lists an additional 22 specific road construction projects and enhancing public transportation and paving dirt roads on their list of what the Ride IV money would be spent on.

The specific projects listed on the county’s Ride IV web page include:

• Widening East Cox Ferry Road to 4-lanes with turn lanes at intersections (SC Hwy 90 to SC Hwy 544)

• Widening SC Hwy 90 to 4-lanes with turn lanes at intersections (East Cox Ferry Road to US Hwy 17)

• Constructing a new connection from Sandridge Road to Robert Edge Parkway at traffic signal, including multimodal facilities

• Constructing new access from US Hwy 17 to Madison Drive including necessary improvements on Madison Drive

• Replacing the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge and approaches over Intracoastal Waterway

• Widening the road to accommodate dual left turn lanes at 46^th Avenue South towards Barefoot Resort Bridge Road and 48^th Avenue South in both directions (46^th Avenue South to Ocean Creek) at US Hwy 17 in Windy Hill

• Widening River Oaks Drive

• Building a cloverleaf ramp from Robert Grissom Parkway Southbound to US Hwy 17 Bypass Northbound

• Widening 38th Ave North

• Widening Seaboard Street between US Hwy 501 and Mr. Joe White Avenue; including multimodal facilities between the intersections of Mr. Joe White Avenue and Oak Forest Lane

• Improving US Hwy 17 Business from Farrow Parkway to 31^st Avenue North

• Widening Big Block Road

• Providing a financial backstop for Horry County Hospitality Projects, including SC Hwy 31 Interchange at Augusta Plantation / Revolutionary War Way and Garden City Resiliency Project

• Extending SC Hwy 22, including environmental mitigation and construction of a new highway from US Hwy 501 (near Aynor) to Surfside / Murrells Inlet area

• Constructing a new highway across Waccamaw River near Conway. The final location is pending a future study

• Widening Cultra Road

• Improving existing Hardwick road including intersection improvements on US Hwy 501 and SC Hwy 319 to support new Horry County Multi-Use Sports & Recreational Complex (including multimodal facilities)

• Constructing an acceleration lane on US Hwy 501 at SC Hwy 319

• Connecting I-73 from SC Hwy 22 to Marion County line (local match funding)

• Widening US Hwy 701 to 4-lanes with turn lanes at intersections

• Widening US Hwy 701 to 4-lanes with turn lanes at intersections. From SC Hwy 9 Bypass to North Carolina State Line

If Ride IV is approved by voters this November, the sales tax program, which Horry County refers to as a ‘transportation tax,’ would go into effect on May 1, 2025, following the completed collection for Ride III.