COLUMBIA, S.C. — Commuters and residents on Old Percival Road are wanting to know why the road has been closed for over two years now.
"I just want it open so I can get back my business back in the morning where it's easy to get here, it's a convenience store so it's got to be convenient," says Joshua Martin, Owner of JKNJ's located on Old Percival Road.
We introduced you to him in March, when he expressed frustration about a portion of the road, near his business, that's been closed for over 2 years.
At that time, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) were at the center of the closure.
For SCDOT's part, they said a nearby dam was starting to fail, and the road was closed as a safety measure.
DHEC said they were waiting for the dam's owner and their engineer to work on a plan to modify the dam.
Martin says he just wants to see some movement. "I definitely want the road to be safe, I understand that things can happen, but at this point, if we know it's the developer, the state has the means to go ahead and get it fixed, and get it open,"
We reached back out to DHEC today, five months later, for an update.
A spokesperson tells us the agency issued a permit for dam alteration on May 15th, according to the owner's engineer a DOT encroachment permit was issued on August 4th but a second one is needed.
Once both permits are received work can begin to fix the dam.
However, SCDOT says there's no timeline for reopening the road.
DOT says that the private contractor is set to begin work on the dam, once the work on the dam is finished, they will begin the roadwork needed.
Martin is hopeful, but still frustrated. "As you can see, this is my livelihood. This is how I give my children a life, I need them to act."
Residents say detours can take up to 20 minutes in the area.