Exit 3 will be an ‘economic engine’ for SC, McMaster says. Construction may start soon
The long-awaited Exit 3 off I-95 in Hardeeville is closer to reality, as a Monday press conference made clear. But it’s still unclear when construction will begin, how many jobs it’s expected to create, and what the economic impact will be.
State and federal officials, including S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, gathered Monday morning to celebrate the economic opportunities Exit 3 will bring to the rural area.
“This is (one of) the most transformative events in the state of South Carolina,” Graham said. “It’s an opportunity to bring businesses and new people to a county that can use all it can get. ... I’m all in.”
Graham said the project will encourage young people to stay in Jasper County, even though that’s been a challenge in the past. After his remarks, he quickly left the news conference to attend another event in Charleston.
McMaster said Exit 3 is “going to be an economic engine.”
“This particular project is one that was a long time coming, but it is here,” McMaster said. “This is going to open things up. Our future is bright. All we have to do is be careful, communicate, collaborate, and work with each other.”
Although it’s still unclear what Exit 3 will do for the area’s economy, McMaster, other state officials, and SouthernCarolina Alliance CEO Danny Black said the development will be “even bigger” than the recently announced $314 million Agricultural Technology Campus in Early Branch, which is slated to bring 1,500 jobs to the area and increase total economic output in Hampton County by $7.4 billion over 15 years.
“This stretch of road will be Exit 3,” Black said outstretching his arms. “That was just completed. This is going to be an interstate interchange going back into I-95 soon.”
In July, the S.C. Transportation Infrastructure Bank approved Jasper County and the City of Hardeeville’s request for a $28.1 million grant and a $28.1 million loan to help build the new interchange at Purrysburg Road and I-95. The project got final approval from the South Carolina Joint Bond Review Committee in August.
Monday’s event was at the RiverPort Commerce Park in Hardeeville, located in an Opportunity Zone roughly four miles from I-95’s Exit 5 and less than 10 miles from the Port of Savannah. It’s home to a 25,000-square-foot Waste Management facility, and is part of a 5,136-acre tract owned by Stratford Land Fund.
Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams said the project has been a long time coming, adding that it was in the works before he took office in 2016. He said the optimistic timeline is to complete the interchange by the start of I-95 widening from Yemassee to Georgia, which won’t begin until 2023.
“We’re here to celebrate the people of South Carolina — people who will now enjoy the chance to improve their quality of life and the lives of their families,” Williams said. “This will create opportunities that have never been available in this area of the state before.”
The $82.4 million interchange is closely connected to the RiverPort development and highly anticipated Jasper Ocean Terminal, an area full of growth opportunities. The project is expected to be funded by state and local contributions.
S.C. Sen. Tom Davis has been a major advocate for the projects since they began, including securing the recent funding for Exit 3.
“It’s our region’s turn,” Davis said. “Our region for the next 10 years is going to lead the way in job opportunity and economic growth.”
Exit 3 and the developments surrounding it are Jasper County and Hardeeville’s hope not only to compete with expansive growth in neighboring Beaufort County and Savannah, but also to revitalize the doorway to the Lowcountry.
Jasper County and Hardeeville have continuously grown since the 2010 census, with Hardeeville recently named one of the fastest-growing cities in the Lowcountry. That is likely the result of more homes being built along U.S. 278 and Argent Boulevard corridors to Beaufort County, namely the Sun City Hilton Head, Latitude Margaritaville, Hilton Head Lakes and Hearthstone Lakes neighborhoods.
“We have room to grow,” Jasper County Council Chairman Henry Etheridge said. “Jasper County is one of the fastest growing areas in our great state of South Carolina ,and we’re proud of our growth. ... (This is) the biggest thing I’d heard of in Jasper County in many, many years.”
For many, the project represents more than just an interchange.
“This isn’t about a new road,” Mayor Williams said. “It’s about a new corridor of opportunity.”
This story was originally published September 21, 2020 at 2:45 PM with the headline "Exit 3 will be an ‘economic engine’ for SC, McMaster says. Construction may start soon."
