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WEBVTT OF THAT TRAFFIC JAM OUR JOE RIPLEY IS GETTING MORE ANSWERS ON THAT FIX. JOE? JOE: CITY ENGINEERS STUDIED THE GRIDLOCK PROBLEMS FOR MONTHS. THEY CAME UP WITH A ROAD THAT WILL CONNECT VERDAE BOULEVARD WITH WOODRUFF INDUSTRIAL LAN THEY EXPECT 7000 CARS TO USE THE NEW ROAD. >> IT GETS REALLY, REALLY BAD. REALLY BAD. TRAFFIC IS AWFUL, ESPECIALLY DOWN AT THE END DOWN THERE. >> TERRIBLE. 30 MINUTES IN TRAFFIC, MINIMAL. >> I COULD GET THERE A LOT FASTER WALKING THAN DRIVING. JOE: THERE’S A FIX FOR ALL THAT FRUSTRATION OVER WOODRUFF ROAD CONGESTION. AT LEAST THE CITY OF GREENVILLE THINKS SO. >> WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE CONGESTION ISSUES. THIS JUST GIVES YOU A DIFFERENT ROUTE, AN ALTERNATE ROUTE TO USE TO INCREASE SOME OF YOUR OPTIONS. JO CREWS ARE WORKING ON A HALF-MILE CONNECTOR THAT WILL LINK VERDAE BOULEVARD TO WOODRUFF INDUSTRIAL LANE. >> IT’S ANTICIPATED THAT ALMOST 7000 CARS A DAY WILL BE TAKING THIS ROUTE INSTEAD OF WOODRUFF ROAD. JOE: CITY ENGINEER DWAYNE COOPER SAYS THE ADDITIONAL ACCESS WILL RELIEVE TRAFFIC FOR FOLKS ON THE EAST END OF WOODRUFF ROAD. I LIKE HOLLINGSWORTH OR CONNECTION PARKWAY. JOE: THE NAME STILL NEEDS WORK. COOPER SAYS DESPITE POOR WEATHER, HE EXPECTS THE $3 MILLION PROJECT TO FINISH UP IN JUNE. >> OH YEAH, I COME TO THIS GAS STATION ALL THE TIME AND USE TARGET AND HONESTLY, IT WILL PROBABLY MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. >> IF YOU GET PEOPLE IN A RUS THEY WON’T FOLLOW THE TRAFFIC PATTERNS, THEY’LL CUT YOU OFF. IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING SEE WHAT HAPPENS, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. JOE: THE $3 MILLION PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED BY THE CITY OF GREENVILLE, THE COUNTY, GRANT MONEY, AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THE TWO-LANE ROAD WILL INCLUDE THREE ROUNDABOUTS AND BE COMPLETED IN J

Advertisement New connector expected to alleviate traffic on Woodruff Road More than 40,000 cars travel on Woodruff Road every day Share Shares Copy Link Copy

More than 40,000 cars travel on Woodruff Road every day, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation. The city of Greenville claims it has an answer to alleviate congestion. City engineers studied the gridlock problems on Woodruff Road for months and finally came up with a solution in the form of a connecting road that will link Verdae Boulevard with Woodruff Industrial Lane. The plan also calls for linking Woodruff Road to the new connecting road, via Green Heron Road and Ketron Court. The half-mile stretch of road will cost $3 million, and Greenville city engineers said the project remained on budget as of Monday. “We all know about the congestion issues,” said Dwayne Cooper, city engineer. “This just gives you a different route, an alternate route to use to increase some of your options.”The project calls for three roundabouts that will be placed at three intersections along the new connector. Cooper said the roundabouts will reduce accidents and injuries. WYFF News 4 spoke with several drivers about the city’s answer to congestion. "It gets really, really bad,” Hanna Wood said. “Traffic is awful, especially down at the end. Being able to skip through these lights right here would save so much time for people getting to work and people needing to go to stores here.”Darnell Gibson has to travel Woodruff Road at least twice a day. He said with so many people using the route, old habits could be hard to break. He also predicted there would be problems with people following the rules for the roundabouts. “If you get the people in a rush, they won’t follow the traffic patterns,” Gibson said. “They will cut you off. It’s going to be tough for people who are not used to it. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens.”Greenville City Council discussed a name for the connecting road, but it is still in the works. Cooper said crews ran into delays with recent poor weather, but he expects the road to be completed by June.