Oh my! What have they done with I-73?
And so — My citizen advocacy journey began for I-73 in South Carolina.
On August 28th, 2019, I was a South Carolina resident, happily retired, enjoying my coffee on my porch. That is until I read a local news headline that made me want to get physically sick. The headline included the words “I-73” and “cancel” in the same sentence. Our very own Horry County Council had said those words and they were contemplating canceling the SCDOT contract on a county level. Did a council I had respected ever since I moved to South Carolina fall off a sweet potato truck and hit their heads? “Oh my gosh!” I knew that move was a grave mistake and I just couldn’t believe it!
As a former Project Coordinator for the National I-73/I-74/I-75 Corridor Association who worked primarily behind the scenes performing administrative duties for the association, and knowing the importance of I-73 in South Carolina, I just could not believe their actions. The last I knew, the permit for I-73 in South Carolina was finally issued in 2017, and we were all just waiting for the road construction to finally begin. I couldn’t just sit still. I thought “our people in the Myrtle Beach area and our visitors have waited decades for I73 and they are dropping the ball just like that?”
I could not believe the news and coincidentally Horry County Council was meeting that evening. I knew what they were doing was nothing but wrong, so I threw on my old I-73 hardhat and I-73 t-shirt I wore when I worked on the project providing information to the public. I drove into Conway, which is our County Seat, and walked right into the Horry County Council Meeting with my I-73 hardhat on and I-73 cooler in hand. Can you hear our people now?
Whether or not I really wanted to, I, Donna Kaloz, made a personal choice that day to take a stand and fight for our people. I made the choice to fight for the majority who spoke time and time again for decades before the I-73 permit was ever issued. THAT IS how we got the permit!
I decided I-73 in South Carolina, the most important piece of infrastructure ever to be built in Horry County, a safe, non-stop hurricane evacuation route out to I-95, and the lifeline for our people to jobs and new industry would NOT go down without a fight — FOR THE PEOPLE!
July 1, 2021 - I’ve been going strong since August of 2019 as a non-paid citizen advocate for you, THE PEOPLE. A lot has happened on my journey that has been interesting and challenging, to say the least, and I believe the money I’ve spent out of my own pocket will be the best money I’ll ever spend in my life, not for me, but for millions who will be able to drive on I-73 someday. I-73 is about a safer and better tomorrow for everyone.
Will anyone cross the finish line this time for the people they represent?
WE THE PEOPLE want our Interstate built and fast!
Will the real I-73 champions for our people please stand up?
Will the real champions actually cross the finish line for the most important piece of infrastructure in Horry County?