GETTING ANSWERS: J.P. Stevens Road

SENECA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - When it comes to Oconee County, your Getting Answers submissions tell us that J.P. Stevens Road has been a nuisance.

The worst part of it is where the road intersects West Cherry Road, one we’ve covered before, as it continues until the road ends at Shiloh Road.

Clemson students live off the road and have to take it daily to get to campus, which is five minutes away.

Lemuel Reid takes notice of the holes in the pavement when it rocks his truck.

“If you didn’t know any better, you would think that these potholes were six feet deep,” said Reid.

Clemson Student Terrence Singleton has to drive cautiously and slowly.

“You going to want to put your foot on a break, a little bit, as you see that pothole coming. And then, you just feel that bump, and then, a little bit of tread goes through—hoping that your tire isn’t busted,” Singleton said.

John Cancel says he’s concerned about his vehicle.

“There are a lot of potholes, some are deep; when you hit a pothole, you feel like your car is going to need maintenance repairs,” said Cancel.

Singleton has to take J.P. Stevens every day.

“It’s just one of those inconveniences—one of those inconveniences that shouldn’t be that difficult to resolve,” Singleton said.

Cancel feels it’s important for the roads around campus to be improved.

“It would be a safer place where college kids could drive,” Cancel said, “There’s a lot of traffic in and out of here. And they don’t really try to fix it.”

Reid has a simple ask.

“Repave it. That’s all I can say is it’s terrible. You’ve got to fix that,” Reid said.

We brought your concerns to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. We found out, as part of their 2023 pavement improvement program, crews will be resurfacing J.P. Stevens from Shiloh Road south for a little over half a mile.

This will tie into an intersection improvement project. The intersections at West Cherry Road and Martin Creek Road will get some upgrades. A preliminary alignment was recently approved. And the development for that plan is underway. They anticipate the work to begin in 2023, and construction starts in 2024.

Singleton, who will graduate from Clemson soon, says—if not for him, the new road can help someone else.

“I know I’m not going to be here much longer,” Singleton said, “but, just mainly, for the future residents who end up living here and who are also going to have to deal with the same problem.

And with around 3,000 drivers taking this road everyday and 17 potholes fixed in the past year, according to the SCDOT, these students will finally get some relief.

“It’s just a beautiful country out here,” said Ried, “And I think we need beautiful roads to go with that.”

Submit a roadway here.

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