I understand the planned inland port at Santee will generate more than 50,000 extra trucks daily on the interstate highway system. If parked, 50,000 would be four lanes of bumper-to-bumper trucks on I-95 from Walterboro to Florence, or 142 miles.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is correct to note that the project, owned by the Arab Islamic government of Dubai will “change this part of South Carolina forever.” The citizens of Santee need not worry, for this additional traffic is over 24 hours. They can take comfort in the fact that the existing three exit lanes to their oasis would only be backed upped with trucks for eight miles every hour of the day.

My point is the taxpayers of Orangeburg County and South Carolina should not foot a $40 million bill to improve the U.S. 301 and I-95 interchange to benefit a foreign government. The oil-rich emir of Dubai certainly has the resources to pay for the necessary infrastructure to support his royal family project. A transportation development fee would be “peanuts” for a $600 million inland port.

– James L. Townsend Jr., Orangeburg

You must be logged in to comment.