The 4 worst intersections in Myrtle Beach area, according to our readers. Does crash data match?
What makes an intersection the worst?
Constant back ups? Drivers running red lights? Collisions leaving travelers with a busted bumper or worse?
We asked readers which are the worst intersections in the Myrtle Beach area and they answered. We also have the data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) on where you’re most likely to get in a wreck.
Fifty readers nominated 29 different intersections from Little River to Murrells Inlet in our survey. The four listed here were the most commonly cited. SCPDS data comes from the most recent years available, 2018 through 2020.
Reader picks
U.S. 17 Bypass at Palmetto Pointe Blvd. (3 responses)
While U.S. 17 Bypass passes over Farrow Parkway, traffic comes to a halt at the disliked intersection of Highway 17 and Palmetto Pointe Blvd. in the Socastee area. In her 2 years in the area, reader Sandra Coen has been “nearly hit by cars ignoring the stop signs on the frontage road.”
Tournament Blvd. at McDowell Shortcut (3 responses)
Readers say this four way stop sign in Murrells Inlet backs up cars enough to block nearby U.S. 17 Bypass. “I’ve waited over 20 minutes to get through intersection,” wrote long-time resident Jen Snow.
U.S. 17 Bypass at Robert Grissom Parkway (3 responses)
When exiting Robert Grissom Parkway going south, the short ramp onto U.S. 17 Bypass North means the left lane stacks up and drivers must quickly merge with passing traffic.
“Cars traveling in the fast lane on Grissom have to get over into the right lane to avoid a serious accident,” noted long-time resident Richard Galante.
Worst intersection according to readers: Carolina Forest Blvd. and U.S. 501 (6 responses)
Over 10% of the respondents to our survey chose this intersection as the worst in Horry County. With multiple left turn lanes and heavy traffic, our readers complained of long lights and drivers cutting others off and running red lights.
Reader Michelle wrote she has “had numerous near misses. Some by people stopping fast at a yellow light or someone from another direction running a red.”
This intersection made the SCDPS list of five worst intersections in Horry County in 2018 and 2020, but not 2019, which was, in general, a bad year for collisions in the area.
When asked if she had ever been in an accident at this intersection, resident Meghan Smith wrote, “No thank goodness.”
The top 3 worst intersections in Horry County from 2018 to 2020, according to SCDPS data
3. U.S. 501 at Gardner Lacy Rd.
Close to Carolina Forest High School, wrecks at this intersection cause back ups to and from the beach. This intersection halfway between S.C 31 and Conway has made SCDPS’s list of top five intersections in Horry County every year the list has been published.
2. S.C. 9 at State Highway 57 North
This intersection near Little River tied for the most injuries and fatalities (73) from 2018 through 2020. Sun News readers noted that drivers need to merge quickly to make it through the intersection.
“Cars try to cut in line from business entrances that connect to 57. They have limited visibility because of the backups that lead to near misses on frequent basis,” replied reader Phillip Skeen in our survey.
The worst intersection according to SCDPS data: U.S. 17 Bypass at S.C. 544
The most dangerous intersection in Horry County, according to SCDPS data, is consistently the convergence of U.S. 17 Bypass and S.C. 544 near Surfside Beach.
From 2018 through 2020, the intersection led the county in total collisions (240) and tied for the most injuries and fatalities (73). Drivers coming in and out of the busy SayeBrook Town Center and South Strand Commons are at risk.
Long-time resident Kenneth Youmans noted “roughly 1 accident a week from people making a left turn out of the shopping center” at Strand Market Drive.
