North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By Ruben Lowman
The long-debated I-73 project, a multi-billion dollar infrastructure plan designed to link the North Carolina border to the Grand Strand, may soon have an official name.
On Thursday, March 5, the South Carolina House of Representatives officially passed a resolution to name the yet-to-be-built stretch of road the President Donald J. Trump Highway.
The resolution, known as House Bill 4982, cleared the House floor with a 76-28 roll call vote.
The bill was a collective effort from a large contingent of Grand Strand leaders, introduced by Representative Heather Ammons Crawford and co-sponsored by several Horry County representatives, including Case Brittain, Val Guest, Tim McGinnis and William Bailey.
According to Crawford, the push to honor the 45th and 47th president stems from a pivotal moment in the project’s history. During Trump’s first term, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a federal permit that authorized the construction of the highway — a move that local leaders say broke a decades-long regulatory stalemate.
Governor Henry McMaster has also been a vocal supporter of the naming, calling it a fitting tribute to the president and administration that helped clear the path for the interstate’s eventual reality.
While the name is now headed to the South Carolina Senate for final approval, the actual construction hinges on a complex web of local and state funding and I-73 is intended to run approximately 80 miles, cutting through Dillon, Horry, Marion and Marlboro counties.
The financial landscape for the project shifted significantly back in late 2024 when Horry County voters approved the RIDE IV referendum. This one-percent local sales tax, which went into effect in May 2025, specifically allocated $450 million for I-73 construction.
This local commitment was a prerequisite for many state leaders who insisted that the Grand Strand show a significant financial stake before state and federal dollars were fully committed.
In February, the Horry County Council voted to support the naming, notably removing a previous requirement that federal funding had to be secured before the end of a presidential term. This signaled a streamlined approach from county leaders most likely to benefit from the tourism influx the road would provide.
However, the sentiment is not uniform across the Pee Dee region.
Officials in Dillon have expressed ongoing concerns that the bypass could divert traffic away from their city, potentially dealing a heavy economic blow to local businesses that rely on current transit routes.
