POWDERSVILLE — The state Department of Transportation is in the process of adding signs and signals at several Powdersville intersections — a move that DOT engineer Kevin McLaughlin said should help make the roads safer.

DOT has added signal-ahead signs and black backplates at the following intersections:

-S.C. 153/Old Pendleton Road.

-S.C. 81/Powdersville Main

-S.C. 153/River Road

-S.C. 153/Hood Road

“(We’re) trying to get people to pay attention to them (traffic lights) better. It’s been one of the most effective things recently to grab motorists’ attention,” McLaughlin said.

The black border on the back around it plus the yellow strip border, also help grab motorists’ attention.

DOT has also reduced the speed limit on Hood Road from 45-35 mph. Hood Road has been one of the main areas of concern for many Powdersville residents, who worry about the impending traffic problems when Powdersville High School opens and more teenagers start driving up and down the road. Initially, Powdersville High will only have ninth and 10th graders, but it will expand in the next two years to include upperclassmen.

Powdersville Fire Chief J.T. Tingen said that some of the most dangerous places in Powdersville are the intersections between S.C. 153 and streets such as Old Pendleton, River and Hood roads.

Although the Wren area is notorious for the number of traffic wrecks, the Powdersville area isn’t always much better.

Both had some of the highest call volumes in the county.

Last year, the Powdersville Fire Station ranked third in total calls, and sixth in the county for wrecks, according to Tingen. The Wren Fire Department was also one of the busiest — it had the most calls regarding wrecks last year, and was the fourth busiest overall, according to Wren Fire Chief Kevin Chastain.

What’s not happening

However, McLaughlin said that signals aren’t warranted yet at the S.C. 153 ramp off the Southbound I-85. Several Powdersville residents said there’s often a bottleneck off that ramp, and they had asked about having a sign on the ramp telling motorists to keep moving when they pulled onto S.C. 153.

But McLaughlin said that in his study of the ramp, motorists do try to keep moving after pulling onto S.C. 153. The problems occur when there’s a lot of traffic or when a motorist slows down slightly to turn left into Cracker Barrel.

To be completed

There are some projects that have been completed, including the widening of a small portion of S.C. 153, from the Saluda River to Cooper Road. S.C. 153 will also be widened from Cooper Road to I-85.

Also, Anderson County officials have told Powdersville residents that developers will be adding a right-turn lane to Three Bridges Road at S.C. 153, and improvements are being made to Hood Road near the future Powdersville High School.

Several local roads will be receiving a light-weight aggregate treatment. Those include Circle Road, Hurricane Creek Road, Mt. Airy Church Road, Roe Road and Smoak Road.

Anderson County Transportation Director Holt Hopkins assured Powdersville residents that they would continue to meet with the residents “until something gets done.”

During the last transportation meeting in the Powdersville Library, several residents signed up to be on what officials referred to as a “Corridor Working Group” to discuss the local road issues.

Anderson County’s Principle Engineer Judy Shelato said she was pleased with the response they’ve had so far from people interested in being on the group.