South Carolina officials said they hope a meeting today with North Carolina officials in Myrtle Beach will help pin down a point where Interstate 73 will enter the state.

The Carolinas I-73 Transportation Summit features transportation and legislative leaders from both states discussing the proposed highway from Myrtle Beach to Michigan, via North Carolina.

“We have not been able to get (North Carolina officials) to commit. Until they let us know where it will come into South Carolina, there is no way we can proceed with the Environmental Impact Studies,” said Sen. Hugh K. Leatherman, R-Florence, who will be at the summit.

Leatherman is not the only legislator eager to define a route for I-73 from North Carolina.

“This is a very important summit to bring together policy-makers and officials to take a look at how to cooperate and connect the route between the two states,” Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Bennettsville, said. Jennings is the chairman of the state House of Representatives’ I-73 Committee.

In addition to Leatherman and Jennings, a host of state and federal legislators from the Carolinas are scheduled to be on hand.

During the summit, North Carolina officials want to discuss the extension of North Carolina’s Interstate 74 into Horry County to connect at the Carolina Bays Parkway and the extension of Interstate 20 from Flor-ence to Wilmington, N.C.

Leatherman was skeptical about extending I-20, but he said he would entertain the I-74 idea, with stipulations.

“I have no interest at all in extending I-20. I would listen to the plan extending I-74 to the Carolina Bays Parkway, but not unless and until we get a location for I-73 to come into South Carolina,” he said.

Aside from discussions, officials are scheduled to give updates on the status of the interstate and present other information related to I-73.

Scheduled to speak at the meeting are Lyndo Tippett, N.C. Secretary of Transportation, Jennings and Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, SC I-73 Association chairman.

Calvin Leggett, head of NCDOT project development, and Mitchell Metts, SCDOT I-73 project manager, will give updates on their respective statess progress on the project.

SCDOT Executive Director Elizabeth Mabry will deliver an address entitled “Defining the Challenge” during the summit.

The lunchtime speaker at the meeting is Ed Mortimer, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

A panel discussion called “Meeting the Challenge: Developing an Action Plan for I-73” and related projects are scheduled for the afternoon.

Later, leaders and staff from both states will discuss other projects or issues requiring interstate cooperation.

Those discussions are slated to include North Carolina’s ideas regarding I-20 and I-74.

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