Letter to the Editor - August 18, 2022

Traffic study vs. reality  

 

In your recent article regarding the Longpoint interchange improvements, you noted that SCDOT performed a safety study several years ago (several being the operative word) to the effect that closing the truck lane on the Wando bridge would reduce safety. I spoke with Joy Riley at the Aug. 2 public input meeting and she expressed the same to me. However, I challenged her on the assumptions used in the study as the reality of my experience does not correspond to the results of their study. 

 

On a congested day, merging traffic from two lanes to three lanes results in a bottleneck and therefore a less safe environment, especially when the merging traffic is large trucks. To eliminate the bottleneck and to address congestion now, rather than in six to eight years when the new bridge and interchange can be completed, I recommend closing the truck lane today. As we learned early in our education, a funnel will only allow so much water to flow through before the funnel overflows. A three-lane to two-lane merger creates a funnel bottleneck and safety is compromised, especially when that bottleneck is on the downward side of a bridge.  

 

Reality is a better study than any model SCDOT can produce. Our state, council and city representatives need to challenge SCDOT to implement simple improvements now, without waiting for the expansion.

 

David Winkler

Daniel Island