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Florence, SC & the Pee Dee Region
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Florence County is building a short road that connects the dead end of East Montclair Way to Freedom Boulevard in south Florence. The county said on its Facebook page on October 12 that construction is well underway and that a new traffic signal will be installed. WPDE reported on October 9, 2026 that the road should be finished within a month; the county gave no completion date. The Florence Planning Commission approved the plan 7-0 on February 11, 2025, and the county told the commission the right of way was established decades ago. We checked the city's Planning Commission minutes and staff report, the state bid notice, WPDE and the county's Facebook post on October 12 and 13, 2026; the contractor, the cost and SCDOT's approval of the traffic light are not confirmed.
Florence County is extending the dead end of East Montclair Way so it meets Freedom Boulevard, giving south Florence drivers another way to reach that road and an option to avoid Pamplico Highway.
The record runs from county funding in late 2024 to the county's own announcement of construction in October 2026. Newest first.
| Date | Step | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2026 | Florence County Government Facebook post | Says construction is well underway, a new traffic signal will be installed, and the project is funded through CPST III. Gives no completion date, cost or contractor. Posted three days after WPDE's report, so it does not show when construction began. |
| Oct 9, 2026 | WPDE reports work is underway | Says the road should finish within a month, a traffic light will be installed, and several hundred homes in the area, including Olde Mill, could be affected. Officials are not named. (WPDE) |
| May 26, 2026 | Construction bids due | Deadline was 2:00 p.m. We did not find bid results or a contract award. |
| Apr 20, 2026 | County advertises for construction bids | Notice for the East Montclair Way extension to Freedom Boulevard (US Highway 301). (State Business Opportunities) |
| Feb 11, 2025 | Planning Commission approves | Item PC-2025-09, vote 7-0. The commission reviewed it because the extension crosses city limits. (City minutes) |
| Nov 21, 2024 | County Council sets aside survey money | Resolution 27-2024/25 designated Capital Project Sales Tax III excess funds for survey work. Staff said the survey was done and a traffic study was underway. (Citizen Portal summary) |
It does not put Olde Mill on the route in any primary record. WPDE names the Olde Mill subdivision among the areas that could be affected; the county's Facebook post does not mention Olde Mill or any neighborhood. The February 2025 city staff report says East Montclair Way runs through the Pine Forest subdivision, outside city limits. We have not confirmed how many homes are affected or how each neighborhood connects to the new road.
It does not say who is building it or what it costs. Neither the bid notice nor the county's Facebook post gives a cost. We found no bid results, contract award, contractor name or start date, so we cannot confirm what happened between the May 26 bid deadline and WPDE's report.
It does not say how the traffic light and stormwater are being handled. At the 2025 meeting, a neighbor said stormwater problems behind nearby homes were long-standing and unanswered, and city staff said stormwater and state transportation reviews would come later. The county administrator said a traffic light would be a decision for SCDOT, and the staff report proposed a stop sign with SCDOT having final say. The county's Facebook post and WPDE now say a signal will be installed, but we did not find an SCDOT permit or signal approval. The staff report lists curb inlets and culverts for the new road, but nothing on the record addresses the neighbor's existing runoff problem.
Tracking other projects? See our running table of what's being built in Florence County and our look at new subdivisions and the roads feeding them.
Where does the East Montclair Way extension go?
It connects the current dead end of East Montclair Way in south Florence to Freedom Boulevard (US Highway 301). Coverage of the 2025 approval places the connection at South Church Street.
Is the road under construction now?
The county says construction is well underway, and WPDE reported the same on October 9, 2026. We have not confirmed a start date or the contractor.
When will it open?
WPDE says it is expected to be finished within a month. The county's Facebook post gives no completion date, and we found none published elsewhere by the county.
Will there be a traffic light at Freedom Boulevard?
The county and WPDE say a new traffic signal will be installed. In February 2025 the plan showed a stop sign, with SCDOT having final say, and we found no SCDOT approval.
Who is paying for it?
Florence County, through the Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST III), according to the county's Facebook post. We have not found the construction cost.
Does it affect Olde Mill?
WPDE says construction could affect several hundred homes in the area, including the Olde Mill subdivision. We have not confirmed how many homes or which streets.
Know the answer to any of these? Send us the source and we will check it and update this article.
Checked October 12 and 13, 2026. Primary sources first.