GETTING ANSWERS: State Line Road

GAFFNEY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - After looking through over 400 “Getting Answers” roads, we are checking in with State Line Road, in Cherokee County.

You’ll find it between Highway 221 and Champion Ferry Road, in Gaffney. It runs parallel to the North Carolina/South Carolina border.

The potholes get tricky between State Line Baptist Church and Buck Shoals Road. We received five requests about this area.

Beronica Kirby was one of the five.

“I drive on this road just about every day. And it’s terrible,” Kirby said.

Linda Clary says the bumpy ride is no joke.

“It’s bad, because it’s gotten so bumpy and so holey,” Clary said.

Clary says she has lived off the road for around 50 years. We asked her when’s the last time she has seen State Line Road paved

“1973, 73 or 74; I’m sure that’s the year,” said Clary.

There may be some truth to that. The state’s Department of Transportation has no record of the road being paved in the last 20 years.

Linda Taylor says her family’s RV can’t take anymore hits.

“The entire car shakes around,” Taylor said, “And anywhere we’re going, whenever we get home, we’re like ‘this is the worst road we’re going to be on.’”

Drivers are also concerned about the three bridges along the road.

“When you’re going this way, it’ll be the last bridge,” Kirby said, “It’s awful from where they’ve patched it. And it gets worse and worse.”

We asked the SCDOT when they last inspected the bridges. They say November 2021. And that the bridges are in good standing....

Taylor says she isn’t so sure.

“I’m not always comfortable believing that,” Taylor said.

Taylor has some suggestions for crews.

“Let’s start over and do some nice asphalt on it instead of just patchwork,” Taylor said.

The DOT tells us they don’t have any immediate plans to pave State Line Road, but they will continue to evaluate it yearly, as they do all the state roads in Cherokee County. They say they will prioritize their paving projects, but no word on if something’s coming down the line. They have fixed over 200 potholes though; which is more than any road I’ve covered.

“If they pave it, it’ll be a whole, lot better,” said Kirby, “And the people that live on this road, I think that they’d really enjoy that.”

Residents will have to wait.

The SCDOT says 300 vehicles take this road every day, Five percent of them are trucks.

Clary says the sooner, the better. She’s about to move—not because of the potholes—but says better roads are important to the other residents who have lived there for decades, like she has.

“It would be a blessing to this community. It would help it grow. And I’m sure it will grow,” Clary said.

The DOT says they have no vehicle damage claims for State Line Road in the last two years. So, if that’s you, be sure to reach out to them to file one.

Submit other roads here.

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