Harrelson Boulevard
Encyclopedia
Harrelson Boulevard is a four lane highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
. It starts at George Bishop Parkway, crosses the Intracoastal Waterway
and U.S. 17
and goes to Myrtle Beach International Airport
and runs near Coastal Grand Mall
. The highway is also the southern terminus for Grissom Parkway. It replaced the two-lane Jetport Road.
As part of the project to expand the Myrtle Beach International Airport
, Harrelson Boulevard is being extended to U.S. 17 Business by the end of 2011.
projects. Fantasy Harbour, a group of attractions off U.S. 501 west of the Intracoastal Waterway, could use such a tax to repay loans from a "state infrastructure bank" for a proposed $15 million bridge from there over the waterway to U.S. 17.
On August 21, 1997, Myrtle Beach City Council saw a Jetport Road master plan which called for an $10.9 million upgrade, with a new four-lane road parallel to the runway at Myrtle Beach International Airport
, connecting the planned Fantasy Harbour bridge with Kings Highway at 29th Avenue South by late 1999. The new road would also intersect the planned Central Parkway
. Interchanges would come later; stop lights were planned at U.S. 17 Bypass, though by 2005 an interchange would be necessary there. On January 26, 1999, at the request of Burroughs & Chapin
, the city council voted to contribute to upgrading Jetport Road to provide access to the new mall
. Other funding came from the Airport
Trust Fund. As of December 1999, the plan was for bids on the $6 million replacement for Jetport Road by March 2000, with completion in summer 2001.
In February 2001, Horry County
officials voted to ask the State Infrastructure Bank for $173 million for South Carolina Highway 31, a connector from the parkway to North Myrtle Beach, and a bridge
over the Intracoastal Waterway at Fantasy Harbour. The state wanted the county to match 10 percent of that amount. The portion for the Fantasy Harbour bridge was expected to come in part from the Fantasy Harbour admissions tax. The interchange at U.S. 17 Bypass
and Harrelson Boulevard, which would connect to the bridge, was already being built.
The Infrastructure Bank chose not to provide money for the projects at that time, but did approve $135 million in December 2001.
On October 15, 2002, state highway officials approved $63 million for the "Main Street Connector" and the Fantasy Harbour bridge. The Fantasy Harbour bridge still had a number of obstacles, including potential environmental problems. The interchange at U.S. Route 17
opened February 19, 2002.
In July 2005, the Infrastructure Bank approved issuing $37 million in bonds for the Fantasy Harbour bridge and the North Myrtle Beach Connector.
Construction began on the 1800-foot bridge in May 2007.
The $46 million bridge opened July 1, 2009 more than a decade after it was first proposed. This new connection bypasses
the traffic
across the waterway bridge on U.S. Route 501. It also provides a connection to Fantasy Harbour, Medieval Times
, and Freestyle Music Park.
By September 2010, work was beginning on phase one of the road's extension, an alternative to Farrow Parkway
during the reworking of that road's intersection with U.S. 17 Bypass.
Phase two of the road's extension to Kings Highway starts September 15, 2011.
.
{|class="wikitable"
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Pine Island
|0.0
|River Oaks Dr.
|Western terminus
|-
|0.1
|
|
|-
|rowspan=15|Myrtle Beach
|0.3
|Hard Rock Parkway
|
|-
|0.4
|Spencer St.
|
|-
|0.6
|Wesley St.
|
|-
|0.8
|Tuxedo Rd.
|
|-
|0.10
|Clay Pond Rd./Fantasy Way
|
|-
|0.12
|Theater Dr.
|
|-
|0.13
|Harbor Lights Dr.
|
|-
|0.15
!colspan=8|Bridge
across the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
|0.16
|Waterside Dr.
|
|-
|0.17
|
|
|-
|0.20
|Mall Drive (Coastal Grand Mall
)
|
|-
|0.25
|Seaboard Street
|
|-
|0.29
|Grissom Parkway
|Southwestern terminus of Grissom Parkway
|-
|0.31
|American Way
|
|-
|0.34
|Broadway
|
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
. It starts at George Bishop Parkway, crosses the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
and U.S. 17
U.S. Route 17 in South Carolina
In the U.S. state of South Carolina, U.S. Route 17 is a north–south highway located near the Atlantic Ocean. The route enters the state from Georgia at the Savannah River and serves Charleston and Myrtle Beach before entering North Carolina near Calabash.-Route description:US 17 enters into...
and goes to Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Myrtle Beach, in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...
and runs near Coastal Grand Mall
Coastal Grand Mall
Coastal Grand Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. The mall is the second largest in the state, with of retail space. The mall is one level, but the majority of the anchor stores have two.-Description:...
. The highway is also the southern terminus for Grissom Parkway. It replaced the two-lane Jetport Road.
As part of the project to expand the Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Myrtle Beach, in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...
, Harrelson Boulevard is being extended to U.S. 17 Business by the end of 2011.
Fantasy Harbour bridge
The Economic Development Industrial Cluster Act of 1996 let local governments in South Carolina use admissions tax revenues for road improvements and other infrastructureInfrastructure
Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
projects. Fantasy Harbour, a group of attractions off U.S. 501 west of the Intracoastal Waterway, could use such a tax to repay loans from a "state infrastructure bank" for a proposed $15 million bridge from there over the waterway to U.S. 17.
On August 21, 1997, Myrtle Beach City Council saw a Jetport Road master plan which called for an $10.9 million upgrade, with a new four-lane road parallel to the runway at Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Myrtle Beach, in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...
, connecting the planned Fantasy Harbour bridge with Kings Highway at 29th Avenue South by late 1999. The new road would also intersect the planned Central Parkway
Robert Grissom Parkway
Robert M. Grissom Parkway, locally known as Grissom Parkway, is a major four-lane connector highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The road begins at Harrelson Boulevard near Myrtle Beach International Airport and terminates in Carolina Forest, South Carolina at SC Highway 31 and International...
. Interchanges would come later; stop lights were planned at U.S. 17 Bypass, though by 2005 an interchange would be necessary there. On January 26, 1999, at the request of Burroughs & Chapin
Burroughs & Chapin
Burroughs & Chapin Company, Inc. is a real estate development company established in 1895 and is based in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its main office is located at 2411 North Oak Street near the Myrtle Beach Convention Center. Burroughs & Chapin owns or has had a hand in developing some of the...
, the city council voted to contribute to upgrading Jetport Road to provide access to the new mall
Coastal Grand Mall
Coastal Grand Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. The mall is the second largest in the state, with of retail space. The mall is one level, but the majority of the anchor stores have two.-Description:...
. Other funding came from the Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport
Myrtle Beach International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Myrtle Beach, in Horry County, South Carolina, United States...
Trust Fund. As of December 1999, the plan was for bids on the $6 million replacement for Jetport Road by March 2000, with completion in summer 2001.
In February 2001, Horry County
Horry County, South Carolina
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
officials voted to ask the State Infrastructure Bank for $173 million for South Carolina Highway 31, a connector from the parkway to North Myrtle Beach, and a bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
over the Intracoastal Waterway at Fantasy Harbour. The state wanted the county to match 10 percent of that amount. The portion for the Fantasy Harbour bridge was expected to come in part from the Fantasy Harbour admissions tax. The interchange at U.S. 17 Bypass
U.S. Route 17 in South Carolina
In the U.S. state of South Carolina, U.S. Route 17 is a north–south highway located near the Atlantic Ocean. The route enters the state from Georgia at the Savannah River and serves Charleston and Myrtle Beach before entering North Carolina near Calabash.-Route description:US 17 enters into...
and Harrelson Boulevard, which would connect to the bridge, was already being built.
The Infrastructure Bank chose not to provide money for the projects at that time, but did approve $135 million in December 2001.
On October 15, 2002, state highway officials approved $63 million for the "Main Street Connector" and the Fantasy Harbour bridge. The Fantasy Harbour bridge still had a number of obstacles, including potential environmental problems. The interchange at U.S. Route 17
U.S. Route 17 in South Carolina
In the U.S. state of South Carolina, U.S. Route 17 is a north–south highway located near the Atlantic Ocean. The route enters the state from Georgia at the Savannah River and serves Charleston and Myrtle Beach before entering North Carolina near Calabash.-Route description:US 17 enters into...
opened February 19, 2002.
In July 2005, the Infrastructure Bank approved issuing $37 million in bonds for the Fantasy Harbour bridge and the North Myrtle Beach Connector.
Construction began on the 1800-foot bridge in May 2007.
The $46 million bridge opened July 1, 2009 more than a decade after it was first proposed. This new connection bypasses
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
the traffic
Traffic
Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...
across the waterway bridge on U.S. Route 501. It also provides a connection to Fantasy Harbour, Medieval Times
Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
, and Freestyle Music Park.
Extension to Kings Highway
In 1998, the Myrtle Beach City Council considered a $6 million plan to extend Harrelson Boulevard (formerly Jetport Road) to Kings Highway at 29th Avenue South as "a four-lane divided parkway with bike paths and 'gateway-style landscaping'." Because of the planned mall, money for this project went to upgrading the existing road instead.By September 2010, work was beginning on phase one of the road's extension, an alternative to Farrow Parkway
Farrow Parkway
Farrow Parkway is a four-lane, parkway that connects US 17 and US 17 Business in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The $6.9 million roadway replaced a former two-lane roadway through the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base with funding from the city of Myrtle Beach funds and Horry County RIDE funds....
during the reworking of that road's intersection with U.S. 17 Bypass.
Phase two of the road's extension to Kings Highway starts September 15, 2011.
Intersections
The entire route is in Horry CountyHorry County, South Carolina
Horry County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. This name honored Revolutionary War Hero, Peter Horry. Brigadier General Horry was born in South Carolina sometime around 1743 and started his distinguished military career in 1775 as one of 20 captains the Provincial Congress...
.
{|class="wikitable"
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|rowspan=2|Pine Island
Pine Island, South Carolina
Pine Island is an unincorporated community in Horry County, South Carolina, United States. Its coordinates are 33.76126 latitude and -78.91858 longitude. It is located 4 miles away from Myrtle Beach and 11 miles away from Conway...
|0.0
|River Oaks Dr.
|Western terminus
|-
|0.1
|
|
|-
|rowspan=15|Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a coastal city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is situated on the center of a large and continuous stretch of beach known as the Grand Strand in northeastern South Carolina. It is considered to be a major tourist destination in the...
|0.3
|Hard Rock Parkway
|
|-
|0.4
|Spencer St.
|
|-
|0.6
|Wesley St.
|
|-
|0.8
|Tuxedo Rd.
|
|-
|0.10
|Clay Pond Rd./Fantasy Way
|
|-
|0.12
|Theater Dr.
|
|-
|0.13
|Harbor Lights Dr.
|
|-
|0.15
!colspan=8|Bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
across the Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
|-
|0.16
|Waterside Dr.
|
|-
|0.17
|
|
|-
|0.20
|Mall Drive (Coastal Grand Mall
Coastal Grand Mall
Coastal Grand Mall is a super-regional shopping mall in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. The mall is the second largest in the state, with of retail space. The mall is one level, but the majority of the anchor stores have two.-Description:...
)
|
|-
|0.25
|Seaboard Street
|
|-
|0.29
|Grissom Parkway
Robert Grissom Parkway
Robert M. Grissom Parkway, locally known as Grissom Parkway, is a major four-lane connector highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The road begins at Harrelson Boulevard near Myrtle Beach International Airport and terminates in Carolina Forest, South Carolina at SC Highway 31 and International...
|Southwestern terminus of Grissom Parkway
Robert Grissom Parkway
Robert M. Grissom Parkway, locally known as Grissom Parkway, is a major four-lane connector highway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The road begins at Harrelson Boulevard near Myrtle Beach International Airport and terminates in Carolina Forest, South Carolina at SC Highway 31 and International...
|-
|0.31
|American Way
|
|-
|0.34
|Broadway
|