There's a monster under the bed. Its name is U.S. 17. And, unfortunately, ignoring it won't help.

But that's what state officials did last week when they rebuffed a request for a grant to fix the deadly two-laner from Gardens Corner to Jacksonboro.

Wilson Elgin has it right: "U.S. 17 was a big loser," the Department of Transportation project manager said Wednesday after the State Infrastructure Bank refused to grant $138 million in much-needed aid for the dangerous span.

The Transportation Department asked for a $90 million grant and a $48 million loan toward a $221 million project; instead, the state's bonding agency for capital projects offered a $93 million loan.

We all know too well that a long line of credit means nothing if you can't pay back the loan.

The 22-mile stretch has been the site of 34 traffic fatalities in nine years, making the federal highway one of the most deadly in South Carolina. The horrific crash of a bus carrying Navy sailors in 2004 spurred a groundswell of political support for a road-widening project.

But was it all just rhetoric? Where are they now? U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint and Gov. Mark Sanford were among the heavyweights pushing for the road's funding. They joined a bevy of Lowcountry residents and politicians, including the Beaufort County Council and the legislative delegations of Beaufort and Charleston counties, in their support.

Should we be surprised, though? For more than a decade and a half, residents and leaders have been clamoring for a highway fix. A lack of funding and interest and wanting to dig deep into our own pockets have been the death knell for past plans.

Fatalities on the stretch have decreased since last year. A speed-limit drop of 5 mph and increased law enforcement presence have reduced the deadly wrecks. But for how long?

Census figures from 1990 to 2000 show that Beaufort County's population has grown by 40 percent. Projections show that by 2025 the county population will be nearing 200,000. Combine those numbers with the estimation of more than 1 million people living in the Lowcountry by 2025, and the need increases for a safe four-lane thoroughfare and hurricane evacuation route.

The state's Transportation Commission will meet next week to look for more ways to help pay for the project, but the pressure needs to be reapplied to see this project through. Far too many lives depend on it.

As with most monsters, pulling your blankets over your eyes won't make the it go away.