Erickson, Ceips turn on St. Helena's Island traffic signals

1Monday morning saw U.S. Group reach the final major milestone on it's Sea Island Parkway (U.S. 21) widening project on St. Helena's Island - the activation of two new traffic signals. These signals were the last part of the project affecting traffic, completed three months ahead of schedule.

Joining us for the occasion were Representative Shannon Erickson and Senator Catherine Ceips. Our latest on-the-job trainees, they eagerly studied the challenges of programming and operating a traffic signal control unit (also known as a cabinet):

They then formed a project team to execute the most important task - flipping the switch to activate the signals:

Here they are posing for photos with Lee Murray, our Project Manager (the short guy), and Archie Evans, our Project Superintendent (the tall guy):

May is Safe Digging Month

You hear the ads and see the signs that say "Call Before You Dig" ... but you figure since not a big construction company or not working near a highway, that doesn't apply to you. Especially if you're doing something simple, such as laying water ines for a sprinkler system, placing fencing posts, tying into a sewer system, or planting trees.

Right? Wrong.

Many developments have utility easements on private lots which allow them to place underground utility lines, especially near the perimeters of lots. If you dig without calling, you can put yourself in harm's way, or disrupt utility services for you and your neighbors.

If you call 811, the national Call Before You Dig toll-free number, that will put you in touch with the PUPS notification service, which notifies most utility companies in South Carolina. But since state law (unlike most states) does not require all utility companies to be part of this system. Therefore, you might have to make more than one call.

A helpful guide is to round up your utility bills before you call 811. Let them know where you're planning to dig, and they'll tell you which utilities they will notify, and if there are any leftover, call their office number.

South Carolina law requires that once you notify, utility companies have three days to respond. That means they either have to mark the location of underground lines with flags or spray paint, or notify you there are no underground utilities where you plan to dig.

One way to help them is to "white-line" the area where you plan to dig, so they will know exactly where to mark the ground. Ordinary spray paint will do just fine. The helpful color code to the markings (as shown to the right) will tell you what they found, so you'll know if a wrong move will blow up the block, knock out the neighborhood's phone and internt, or just wash out your front yard.

Here at the Blogland, we're all about a better South Carolina, and that includes one where everyone works together protect themselves and the utility services that provide for our quality of life. Please do your part by CALLING BEFORE YOU DIG.

Coming this summer: I-26 widening in North Charleston

My company, U.S. Group, Inc., was the lowest bidder for the Interstate 26 widening project in North Charleston.

This three year project will include adding one additional lane between Ashley Phosphate Road and Interstate 526, as well as rebuilding the interchanges at Aviation and Remount Roads. It's going to be a hell of a project - especially when the Remount Road interchange is entirely closed for several months to rebuild it.

This is probably the state's most complex and complicated urban Interstate widening and reconstruction project since I-85 at US 25 and I-185 in Greenville. At $74 million, it is one of the largest contracts they've ever issued. Especially for a project without a major bridge in it.

You can keep up with this project on the web at www.I26AviationRemount.com ... or you can let me know and I'll try to answer your questions.

For those of you who don't know, I'm responsible for public and media relations for my company's highway construction projects. That includes designing and updating project websites, organizing community meetings, liasions with community leaders, sending out media releases about lane closures, responding to public inquiries, and all sorts of other stuff.

It's not politics, by any means, but it's all part of being the ONLY highway contractor in South Carolina with an on-staff communication specialist and an in-house public relations program.

No offense to those of y'all who work in politics, but I'll admit that it's nice to have a stable job in the private sector.

Going to Rock Hill?

If you're going to Rock Hill or York from Columbia, you probably use State Route 901 after exiting from Interstate 77. If so, look for U.S. Group to begin work on it's first York County project: the widening of 901 from Interstate 77 to Heckle Boulevard.

This project, funded by York County's Pennies for Progress program, will complete a long-overdue full four-lane southern bypass around Rock Hill, allowing travelers heading to York and points west of Rock Hill without having to fight city traffic or two-lane roads.

If you'd like to keep up with this project's progress ... yep, I'm running the project website at www.901Construction.com.

Legislative reception - mark your calendar!

Now that we've got your attention ... for those of you who were invited to Wednesday evening's legislative reception being hosted by Carolinas AGC ... this is a friendly reminder to mark your calendars and set some time aside between 6 and 8 pm attend this event.

The location is awful convenient, and the construction industry is a vital part of our state's economic engine, so come on and join us!

Piney Grove Road question

A couple of weeks ago, one of our readers had a question about the need for the bridge replacement on Piney Grove Road in the Irmo area.

I went out there last week and got some existing-condition photos, which have been posted to our public information website at www.PineyGroveRoad.com. Whoever you are, if you're reading this (and any other readers), go take a look at the new page - "The Need" - which discusses the condition of the existing bridge, including some rather telling photos.

If you use this road to shortcut from St. Andrews Road to I-26 in the Irmo and Harbison areas, you'll want to bookmark this website until our project is wrapped up next year.

Driving through the Midlands?

For those of you who travel through the Midlands, there will soon be two new road construction projects you should keep an eye out for. My company, U.S. Group, will be starting work on two new road construction projects in Lexington County:

Piney Grove Road widening and bridge replacement:
This project will replace the bridge over Kinley Creek, rechannel the creek to reduce potential erosion of the roadway, and add a center turn lane for two blocks both north and south of the creek.

U.S. Route 321 at U.S. Route 21/176 intersection realignment:
This project will replace the fork and yield intersection with a standard "T" intersection, complete with a traffic light. U.S. 321 will remain the through-route, while U.S. 21/176 travelers will have to stop and then turn right or left to get onto U.S. 321.

While daytime work that interferes with traffic is usually very restricted by SCDOT contract requirements, we do ask you to slow down exercise extra caution through these work zones. Both projects will likely require lane shift and temporary realignments to facilitate work, which will slow traffic while motorists get used to them. Watch out for those motorists, as well as our workers and construction vehicles.

If you have any questions about either project, please let me know. I'll be glad to help.

As an added bonus, I put the Piney Grove Road project online with a traffic information website, which you can find at http://www.pineygroveroad.com/.

Blogland Weekend: Off to Bamberg

U.S. Group personnel pulled aside the barrels and opened up Main Street for a parade that was well over a mile long, and the Blogland was there for the occasion.

The kids had a good time watching the parade and scooping up the candy that was being thrown out from the 90-plus parade floats and vehicles. That is after they were done laying down in the street.

Once the ribbon was cut and the parade continued rolling up Main Street, the road was closed back off to allow the community to enjoy a street festival. Once some minor patching work is completed Monday, the road will be opened permanently to traffic. Once minor detail work is completed in the coming weeks, the entire project will be done.

An interesting moment of historical irony was found in the picture we took of Representative Bakari Sellers riding in the back of a Bentley at the parade, being driven by John Sanders. His father, Cleveland Sellers, was the only protestor jailed after the Orangeburg Massacre, accused of "inciting a riot", and grew up in a time when the role and ethnicity of the politician and driver in such a car would have been quite opposite.

It's certainly a comforting sign that the progress that Seller's father helped to bring is finally happening.

Sanders stuck around, but Sellers had another engagement to attend. We'd really hoped to meet the guy, but maybe another time.

For the rest of the weekend, it's kids and studying ... fun, fun, fun. But whereever you're at and whatever you're doing, be sure to have a great weekend ... and check out these pictures from the ribbon-cutting:

Please help us finish a veteran's memorial in Bamberg

On Main Street (U.S. Route 301/601) in Bamberg, about five blocks south of U.S. 78 sits a vacant lot with a rusting flagpole and an over-looked marker paying tribute to the community’s veterans.

Thanks to Lane Anderson, the U.S. Group Project Manager and a demolitions expert in the Navy Reserve, the marker and flagpole will be moved to a new spot at the existing location or to a nearby location on Main Street. Materials and labor are being donated by the Town of Bamberg, U.S. Group, along with several subcontractors involved with the project.

When completed, a small plot will be landscaped, with benches and walking stones, with the memorial plaque incorporated into a larger memorial to the community’s veterans. The roadway is expected to be open well before then, and this has been seen as a sort-of “thank you” present from U.S. Group and the other project partners for the town’s patience and cooperation with the construction project, which resulted in the closure of Main Street since the spring.

It’s Anderson’s goal to finish work on this side project and dedicate this new Veteran’s Memorial on November 11 – Veteran’s Day. But the project won’t be complete without eight aluminum flagpoles: seven for each branch of our nation’s armed forces, as well as National Guard and the eighth pole, a taller one, for the stars and stripes.

We’re looking for anyone who donate them, or donate towards the costs of buying these for this project. If you can help, please email me or call me at (843) 532-8439.

Four lanes open in Newberry, two weeks early.

When several dozen people descended on a roadside in Newberry to open a newly-widened State Highway 121 on Friday, there was one problem that kept the dignitaries from taking part in opening the new lanes: the new lanes had already been opened - several weeks ahead of schedule.

Representatives from U.S. Group, the contractor in charge of the project, the SCDOT, local governments, and two statewide elected officials: Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom and Secretary of State Mark Hammond, shared praise for all involved on the project, as well as several other Newberry projects completed by U.S. Group in recent years, as well as for all the partners involved.

Once they were done speaking, guests were treated to a barbeque luncheon, with desserts provided by a resident along the highway who donated the desserts to thank the company for cooperating with the community during the course of the project.

“This is a great example of public-private partnerships,” said Eckstrom. “Government knew when to back off, and in doing so, picked an outstanding company to see the job through, for both the community and taxpayers. On this project and others, U.S. Group has set a high standard for their industry that will be hard to beat.”

Hammond, who played football when he was a student at Newberry College, joked that the widening as a “good sign that Newberry College football is really catching on. Now they need four lanes to handle the traffic to see our games.”

Newberry County Council Chairman Henry Summers pointed out that Newberry had been fortunate to receive this much in the way of construction projects, noting that while traffic had increased by forty percent in recent years, the amount of road capacity had only increased by six percent. “Anyone going through Newberry can see that this company and the SCDOT have left their mark on our community,” he said. “Our roads are safer, travel is easier, and there are more prospects for economic development.”

U.S. Group President Embree Griner thanked the community, SCDOT personnel, subcontractors, local government representatives and his own employees. “These projects didn’t succeed on their own,” he told the audience. “They succeeded because we were able to partner and keep our eye on the goal, and then make sure whatever we did would take us there.”

Special thanks goes to Paige Cooper and Sticky Fingers for prompt and quality service, and for Hugh Edwards, the Project Manager, for emceeing the event.

U.S. Group - rolling in Bamberg

I made the front page of this week's edition of Construction and Equipment Guide:

With large stretches of its main downtown streets reduced to a mess of rocks and dirt and gaping holes, Bamberg, S.C., looked more like a war zone than a quiet Southern town during work late last year and earlier this year to widen U.S. 301/601 and crossroad U.S. 78, said Earl Capps, spokesman for contractor U.S. Group Inc.

“Basically, [the streets] were torn down to dirt. … We had to pull up everything [and] start over,” said Capps, whose company is based in Columbia, S.C., approximately an hour north of Bamberg.

The $8 million project entailed widening eight blocks of U.S. 301/601, called Main Highway or Main Street, and six blocks of U.S. 78, called Heritage Highway, creating a passing zone for traffic between Charleston, S.C., and Augusta, Ga., he said.

So far, we're on track in Bamberg and might even finish a few weeks ahead of schedule, which will be a nice deal for the people in that area.

Highway opening to feature Eckstrom and Hammond in Newberry tomorrow

Tomorrow, my company will thank those involved with a series of successful major highway contracts in Newberry County, with a “thank you” luncheon on S.C. Highway 121 between Newberry and I-26. Featured VIPs will include local and county officials, representatives from key contractors, as well as Comptroller General Richard Eckstrom (a Blogland favorite) and Secretary of State Mark Hammond.

Since 2000, U.S. Group, Inc. has completed four major highway projects in Newberry County:

• I-26 rest area reconstruction,
• Widening of S.C. Route 219 and I-26 interchange
• Widening of U.S. Route 76 and railroad overpass replacement
• Widening of S.C. 121

Any of you media people reading this are invited to attend this event. Call me at 843-532-8439 if you need directions to the event.

My company's I-20 project in the news

Our project to rebuild the I-20 rest areas in Kershaw County is nearly done, replacing the run-down, overloaded facilities with state-of-the-art facilities, including more picnic areas, family bathrooms, and air-conditioning. For some reason, our friends at The State thought the occasion was worth a news story:

After two years, more than 30,328 man hours and $14 million, new Interstate 20 east- and westbound rest areas in Kershaw County should be completed by mid-September.

But to clarify, our project manager's name is Bob PRICE. He's a pretty cool dude, and some say he might be running for President.

More on those rumors later ...

Be Nice to Democrats Day

Today, it's "Be Nice to Democrats Day" in the Blogland.

Aside from some different thinking on issues, they're not really bad people at all. If you know one, go give them a hug - I promise they won't bite!

Above is Frankie Denmark, former Chair of the South Carolina Utilites Coordinating Committee, giving my good friend Marty Turney, the current Vice-Chair of the Dorchester County Democratic Party, a hug ... and a well-deserved award too.

New friends and good times in Clarendon County

Recently, we opened up four lanes on our U.S. 378 widening project in Clarendon County, the second of two major highway projects in that county. About three years, twelve miles and eight bridges later, it’s been a great opportunity to get to know the great place that is Clarendon County.

In the public relations work for my company, I found a great media partner in the Manning Times, especially with Cathy Gilbert, their hard-working editor. Cathy was a friendly ear whenever we had project-related news, and ever-watchful over our work. She’s also a great salesman for the county – she knows her beat well, and isn’t afraid to show it off. More than once, a late-afternoon visit to the county would lead to an invitation to attend a community event or a tour of some part of the county. There are few rural areas anywhere that I’ve come to know as well as Clarendon County, and few so beautiful.

But my company didn’t just build some roads and make some money in Clarendon County – we also gave back. Ten homesites for the local Habitat of Humanity will be built on some of the best possible foundations – two truckloads of SCDOT-grade fill dirt that is of much higher quality than higher-priced homes are built upon.

While Clarendon County is like many in the region – rural, agricultural, poor, and struggling to look out for its own – there is a sense of community spirit and willingness to pull together among its citizens that you don’t find in many places. If I ever move to a rural community (and I'm not a big small-town person), this will be one of the few I’d consider.

Two of the nicest people in the county are Senator John Land and his wife Marie. I had the opportunity to meet them when we opened up four lanes on U.S. 521 back in December. I appreciate Mrs. Land’s service to my college, as Vice-Chair of our Board, in addition to being a fellow southern Catholic. Senator Land, agree with him or not, is definitely focused upon the needs of his district, such as pushing to make sure this project got moving, as well as working to make sure water and sewer was in place to help attract industry to the newly-widened highway.

The local state representative, Cathy Harvin, couldn’t make it, but I’ve had more than one conversation with her and she was most friendly, accessible, and concerned about making sure these needed projects were finished in good order.

When we opened 521, as the MC for the event, I opened with a moment of silence to remember one of the most important movers behind this project – State Representative Alex Harvin – who pushed for the project and saw its initiation, but passed away before we completed the project. His long service and devoted attention to the needs of his constituents, as well as his willingness to be reached about the project, said much about him.

Last year, I had the opportunity to do two speaking appearances on behalf of Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, and in doing so, found The Palms at Wyboo Plantation – a great bar and restaurant near Lake Marion on the Clarendon County side - is a really neat place to go hang out – where a lot of the regulars, especially Moye Graham, are fans and regular readers of the Blogland. Thanks for reading, friends.

But my favorite place to go in all the county, the one place that will keep me coming back (not counting my friends) is the home of the best BBQ in the all the world – D&H Barbeque in Manning. It’s just north of the county hospital on S.C. 260, about four blocks south of U.S. 301 on the south side of town. Henry Brailsford runs a great place there, and if you’re passing down 521 to Georgetown, or up or down I-95, it’s must stop.

While I’ll be back, I want to take a moment to look back at the last three and a half years and thank my new friends in Clarendon County – Moye, Cathy, the Lands, the Gibbons, and many others. You’ve made Clarendon County a place that I’ll miss spending time in, and well worth coming back.

2007 Carolinas Joint Utility Coordinating Committees convention

Yesterday, I attended the 2007 convention of the joint North and South Carolina Utility Coordinating Committees. I was there to receive the Tom Crosby Award for safety leadership for my company from our friends with PUPS - the “call before you dig” people.

Having been very active in utility coordination efforts at both local and state levels, a lot of the people there have been long-time friends and partners on these issues, and it was good to see a lot of familiar faces. The presentations were helpful, and as always, neat presentations and giveaways from the vendors at the event.

An amazing thing about this business is that those who retire seldom really retire. They retire, take a year off, get bored, and then go work for someone else. Same faces, new places. This year was no different, and it was good to see some of those who’ve been such assets to my work coming back into the business, especially Marion Leaphart and Bill Seaborn.

It was good to meet one of my cohorts whose wife was elected the GOP Executive Committeeman from Spartanburg County, which is the home of Rick Beltram, one of the biggest fans of the Blogland. We hear he sings our praises often, and believe me, we think he's just a swell guy.

There was also a lot of buzz about the status of the SCDOT-related bills, as well as the appointment of Buck Limehouse as the new Executive Director of the SCDOT.

It was a great time, and special thanks to the folks from PUPS for the award, as well as picking up the tab for the overnight accommodations at the Myrtle Beach Hilton.

MCASC Legislative Rally recap

Last night, I attended the annual “Legislative Rally” of the Mechanical Contractor’s Association of South Carolina, the third one I’ve attended. First of all, I want to thank Mona Flowers and the MCASC for their hospitality. As always, it was a first-class event that helped keep our Legislature focused on issues near and dear to the construction trades.

Mark Sanford was this year’s speaker. His remarks were short, but he stressed the need to see action on Worker’s Compensation reform, singling out opposition in the Senate by Senator John Land. He also advocated the need to continue working on restructuring, reform the budget process and control spending. Needless to say, with this crowd, his messages were well-received.

It was a good opportunity to introduce my company’s President to Governor Sanford, as well as a number of legislators and VIPs at the event. I want to thank the following for taking the time to speak with us:

• Senator Larry Grooms, who was concerned about the progress of the S.C. DOT restructuring efforts which he led in the Senate.
  
• Representative Chip Limehouse, whose father, Buck Limehouse, was just named the new Executive Director of the S.C. DOT.
  
• Representative Carl Gullick, a first-termer whose political career started in 1992, when I worked on his first campaign for York County Council.
  
• Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers, who talked about an upcoming South Carolina agriculture publicity campaign (stay tuned ... we'll be talking about that here soon).

Other VIPs who attended included Senators Glenn McConnell and Harvey Peeler, as well as House Education chair Bob Walker. At least a half-dozen Democratic House members attended, mostly sitting together, including Herb Kirsh, Patsy Knight, Harry Ott, and Grady Brown. Two judicial candidates were also working the crowd, presumably seeking to line up legislative support (they show up every time … the things some people to do to get a job … geeezzzz …).

I appreciated the time these people took to hear the concerns of the construction industry and share some of their insights as to what is going on with the legislative process. It's not often that we can get such an audience, and we hope they will consider our concerns in the legislative process.

Going to Fripp or Hunting Island? Beware ...

Last week, the McTeer bridge, which is one of two bridges crossing the Beaufort River, connecting the Sea Islands of Fripp, Harbor, Hunting, Ladys and St. Helena Islands, was hit by a boat and will likely be closed to traffic for much of the summer.

The only bridge across the Beaufort River that is open is the Woods Drawbridge on U.S. 21 Business. This connects downtown Beaufort to Ladys Island. Reports from my company's highway project on St. Helena Island reports considerable traffic congestion several miles south of the Woods bridge. With summer traffic to the coast building this time of year, today's situation may be a bad sign of things to come for this area.

It will take some time before it is known how long repairs will take, much less to perform the work. If you are planning to go to any of these islands in your daily commuting, or for vacationing, please plan ahead before attempting to cross the Beaufort River from downtown Beaufort. Try to make sure you're not adding to the already tremendous traffic problem by making an ill-timed trip.

Remember, any additional traffic congestion could make it even more difficult for emergency services to function in this area, posing threats to people and property on the Sea Islands. Out of consideration for emergency services personnel, please keep an eye out for them if you must travel in this area and be prepared to get out their way.

Beaufort County has a traffic information webpage, as well as webcams north and south of the river on U.S. 21. My company's public information website for our Sea Island Parkway (U.S. 21) widening project on St. Helena's Island will also link to the Beaufort County websites and provide what information we can.

UPDATE: Between 5.30am and 7.00am, both lanes across the Woods drawbridge will be northbound only. All traffic from downtown Beaufort to Ladys Island via U.S. 21 southbound will have to wait until this daily reversal ends at 7.00am

Special thanks to the Beaufort Gazette for the photos.

Would you like fries with that?

After several weeks of posting a lot of serious stuff, I really need to stop thinking so much of myself (... note to self - act a little more like a human, and less like a political hack).

For those of you with nothing more meaningful to do than wonder about who I am, let's take a look at my office for my day job. My wall where my Bachelor's diploma is, along with three key awards I earned during that time.

Yes, that sticker really is hung on the frame.

That'll be 6.47, please drive around (which is more than I've made on ad revenue on my blogsite this month).

Does anyone know where seals can be found in Lancaster? I hear they are to die for ...

National Work Zone Safety Week - April 2-6

It's that time of the year again ... yep, National Work Zone Safety Week is next week (April 2-6).

On this blog, that's an important week.

As someone who works for a highway construction general contractor, I'd like to ask all of you to put safety first at all times when driving, but to pay extra attention in those work zones.

While my company has been fortunate to have had zero injuries or fatalities due to work zone incidents, U.S. Group is the exception to the rule in that regard. Having had a couple of near misses myself while on job sites, I know just how risky it is.

Keep in mind that when workers can work safer and therefore with more confidence, they work faster. That means they can open those roads up sooner. So, please help us help you.

There's even a Work Zone Safety coloring book you can download for hours of coloring fun. West and Mike ought to enjoy that.