Big Changes Planned for Boone Hill Road: What Summerville Drivers Need to Know

One of Summerville’s busiest growth corridors could eventually undergo a major transformation.

Dorchester County is developing plans to widen and improve approximately 6.6 miles of US Highway 17A — better known locally as Boone Hill Road — between Research Center Drive and Luden Drive. The project is intended to address growing traffic congestion, improve safety and create better accommodations for bicyclists and pedestrians along the corridor.

For residents who regularly travel Boone Hill Road, this is much bigger than a simple resurfacing project.

What is being proposed?

The US 17A Improvements Project calls for widening portions of Boone Hill Road while also making improvements to several intersections along the route.

Current concept plans include a combination of additional roadway capacity, intersection upgrades and new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Dorchester County’s preliminary typical sections show different roadway configurations depending on the portion of the corridor, including a wider section between Research Center Drive and Berlin G. Myers Parkway and a smaller section continuing north toward Luden Drive.

The project corridor also interacts with several major roads used by Summerville-area drivers, including SC 61, Beech Hill Road, Dorchester Road, Central Avenue, Orangeburg Road, Tupperway Drive and Luden Drive.

Why Boone Hill Road?

The project is largely about preparing the corridor for continued growth.

Dorchester County says the improvements are intended to reduce future traffic congestion, improve safety and better accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The northern project limit was also extended to Luden Drive following the 2025 opening of the Berlin G. Myers Parkway extension because of increased traffic using Luden Drive.

That makes the project particularly significant as residential and commercial development continues throughout the Summerville and western Dorchester County area.

But construction is not around the corner

This is an important distinction.

The Boone Hill Road widening project is not currently fully funded.

The project is part of Dorchester County’s 2022 Transportation Sales Tax program. That program is expected to generate approximately $700 million for transportation improvements countywide, but Dorchester County says the combined funding needs of all projects in the program exceed the money available.

At the moment, the US 17A project is funded only through preliminary design.

The county intends to continue developing the project so it can compete for federal grants, partnerships and other funding opportunities needed to eventually move toward construction. Getting the project further along in design can make it more competitive for those future funding sources.

In other words: Boone Hill Road is being planned for a major overhaul, but there is not yet a fully funded construction timeline.

Could private property be affected?

Potentially.

Dorchester County held a public information meeting on July 16, 2026, where preliminary plans and possible future right-of-way needs were presented. The county emphasizes that those plans are still conceptual and do not represent final property impacts.

Depending on the final design, portions of some properties could eventually be needed for roadway widening, drainage, utilities or other improvements.

In certain circumstances, an entire property could also be required. The county says affected property owners would go through the formal right-of-way acquisition process, which includes appraisals, compensation and relocation assistance when applicable.

New development could play a role, too

There is another interesting piece of the puzzle.

Dorchester County says new developments along the Boone Hill Road corridor are subject to its Traffic Impact Analysis program, which can require developers to mitigate the traffic generated by their projects.

Depending on the development, that could mean constructing transportation improvements before the larger US 17A project is completed or contributing funding toward future Boone Hill Road improvements.

That could become increasingly important as more homes and businesses are proposed along the corridor.

What happens next?

The county is still working through preliminary design and the lengthy process that comes before construction.

Major transportation projects can require environmental reviews, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, engineering and additional public involvement before crews ever begin widening a road. Dorchester County says the US 17A project would also have to go through the federal environmental review process if federal funding or permitting is involved.

So while drivers shouldn’t expect bulldozers on Boone Hill Road tomorrow, the planning happening now could shape one of Summerville’s most important corridors for decades.

And considering how quickly this part of Dorchester County continues to grow, the bigger question may not be whether Boone Hill Road needs improvements.

It may be how quickly the region can fund and build them before growth creates even more pressure on the corridor.

Do you drive Boone Hill Road regularly? What improvement do you think US 17A needs most — more lanes, better intersections, safer turn lanes, sidewalks, bike infrastructure or something else?