Carolina Forest Road Summit draws 150-plus, International Drive addressed

More than 150 people showed up to a standing-room only meeting at the Carolina Forest Recreation Center Wednesday for a presentation on RIDE III, but the conversation quickly turned to the recently delayed International Drive project.

Many residents from the Carolina Forest area and others had turned out to hear a presentation on Horry County’s next proposed 1-cent sales tax referendum, which is projected to fund $530 million in road projects if voters approve the effort in the fall of 2016. But just last Friday, the paving of International Drive project, which was approved during the last sales tax road improvement program, was delayed for a second time due to protests made by environmentalists.

Carole vanSickler, president of the Carolina Forest Civic Association, said she thinks a good part of the turnout resulted from recent events with International Drive – a road that is expected to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.