Update April 8, 2012: Despite being one of the most traffic-heavy areas, Carolina Forest is once again getting shorted on road improvements.

WMBF reports the turn lane project (first reported below) is getting postponed due to school traffic and not enough engineering bandwidth. Read more details here. Just last week, a child was killed on the Carolina Forest section of 501 in front of Tanger Outlet stores. We reported on the community supporting the family through their difficult time here. 

First Report: Carolina Forest is getting some much needed road improvement love. It's not the four-lane widening or 501 overpass that will eventually become necessary– but it's a start.

Ask any Carolina Forest resident and they will likely tell you that their area has quickly outgrown it's main thoroughfare, Carolina Forest Boulevard. Even people that don't live in Carolina Forest complain about the intersection and traffic lights at 501 which at times seems like it has been timed by by color-blind monkeys. The little two lane highway that connects River Oaks Drive and 501 for tens of thousands of residents becomes a stop-and-go affair every rush hour. In the off hours, it's a perfect mix of people driving way too slow or way too fast. 

With new Recreation Center and Library coming online, even more concerns about people entering and exiting the roadway have been mounting. According to WMBF News, Horry County is aware of these concerns and intends to do something about it by starting off with spot improvements that add turn lanes at some of the more dangerous intersections. More details including the construction schedule are here on the WMBF site.