The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) held a Public Hearing on Tuesday, April 19, 2022. The hearing provided an opportunity for the community to review and discuss the proposed project and recommended preferred alternative identified in the Bishopville Truck Route Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).The DEIS documents: the project purpose and need, existing conditions, the range of alternatives considered, and potential effects from the project, proposed mitigation, and SCDOT's preferred alternative.

As a result of feedback received from the community and stakeholders during the public hearing, SCDOT is making a minor alignment modification to the Recommended Preferred Alternative.

As shown in the project milestone schedule, the next and final step in the planning and environmental review and compliance phase is a combined Final Environmental Impact Statement/Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD). The FEIS/ROD will document responses to public comments on the DEIS, confirm the Preferred Alternative, and document the basis for the decision. The FEIS/ROD will also provide information on additional avoidance, minimization, and compensation for environmental impacts. Upon Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approval of the FEIS/ROD, SCDOT will be authorized to begin final design, acquire necessary permits, acquire right-of-way, and begin construction.