GETTING ANSWERS: Highway 243

ANDERSON COUNTY, SC (FOX Carolina) - We’re taking you to Townville on Highway 243 to get you answers about bad roadway conditions.

Drivers tell FOX Carolina the issues are from the Oconee County line until Highway 24.

Waylon Priester says it’s difficult to avoid the potholes and patches.

“I always make the joke, ‘You know, in some countries, they drive on the left-hand side of the road. And some countries—they drive on the right-hand side.’ And I said, ‘Up here, we say we drive on what’s left of the road,” Priester said.

If you drive through Townville, there is plenty of farmland, but, to get to it, you have to go through plenty of potholes.

George Shirley has lived there since the 80′s.

“It’s like riding in a Cadillac and going to a four-wheel wagon. That’s what it feels like. I mean, it’s that rough,” Shirley said.

Rick Tribble says the drive is jolting. He’s lived there his entire life.

“It’s bumpy all the way through. It’ll rattle your teeth. If you’ve got fill-ins, you’d better be careful, because it very easily could come out.”

Waylon Priester has a business right off of Highway 243—Sweet P’s.

“It just shakes your car all to pieces. It shakes you all to pieces,” Priester said.

George Shirley says he’s tired of the experience while driving.

“When you hit that with a vehicle, it just shakes you to death in your vehicle. You’d better not have a drink in your drink holder, because if it’s over half full, it’s going to be in the floor,” Shirley said.

Anderson County residents want something done about it.

“We want it paved correctly. We want it to be grounded down and paved like it’s supposed to be,” Priester said.

We brought their concerns to the state’s Department of Transportation. They told us Highway 243 is ranked number two for primary route resurfacing in Anderson County. Work could be approved anywhere from November 2021 to January 2022.

“It needs to be paved from end to end instead of just fixing potholes,” said Tribble.

The SCODT says they’ve fixed 17 potholes over the past year. Crews will do a full-depth reclamation of all seven miles of the highway. This means a full rehabilitation project, not just resurfacing.

Tribble says that’s great news. He just hopes they won’t take so long the next time.

“If they’re going to wait 40 more years before they do that again, that’s way too long,” Tribble said.

SCDOT tells us the last time it was paved was around 1997. For now, Shirley is optimistic about the improvements planned for the next few years.

“I’ll be glad when I get in my truck and I see that new, surfaced road on Highway 243. And, maybe, we can all put a smile on our face,” Shirley said.

The SCDOT recently paved the Oconee County side of Highway 243. They say no car damage claims have been made in the past three years.

Getting Answers will check back to see when the work will begin.

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