Grand Strand residents could see some road work priorities become reality within the next couple of years.

The top priority project now appears to be the interchange at U.S. 17 Bypass at S.C. 707, or the back gate, said Jack Walker, Myrtle Beach's city planner.

"We could possibly see some of the projects in the works by next year," Walker said. "Some way or another, we will get those couple of top projects implemented."

A steering committee is meeting today to hear reports from consultants working with the Grand Strand Area Transportation Study committee. The committee hopes to have a draft plan ready by next week, which will be available in every local government office and every library in the region, said Mark Hoeweler, planning director at Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments in Georgetown.

The study committee is responsible for setting priorities for road projects in Horry and Georgetown counties' metropolitan areas.

The committee finished its last round of public input meetings last week. Input from the community will be used to help build the committee's 25-year, long-range plan, which the policy committee, a 20-member panel of area elected officials and staff members, must finalize and approve by the end of January.

The transportation plan would help garner federal funds for road improvements including bike paths and highway widenings, and for making improvements to other modes of transportation throughout the area.

Raymond Brick, who attended one of the public meetings, said he would like to see bike facilities be a standard part of road improvements.

"The bike paths are very appropriate for casual users, but there are problems for serious cyclists on those paths because they become more dangerous," said Brick, who lives across the Intracoastal Waterway from North Myrtle Beach. "They should be upgraded bike lanes where the right lane is a little wider or there's a wider shoulder."

Other people attending the public hearings pushed for road improvements such as strategically placed turning lanes, widening of the highways, new interchanges and evacuation routes, said Janine Peccini, planner at the Waccamaw regional council.

The widening of U.S. 17 Bypass from U.S. 501 to 29th Avenue North is the most recent project of the committee's to have gone through the planning process. The $8.6 million project is under construction.

For the long-range plan, the study committee has 102 projects to consider with an annual $4.5 million budget. Of those projects, 28 are listed as top priority with an anticipated $400 million budget from 2006 to 2030.

Ultimately, the estimated total cost for all of the projects on all tiers is $1.55 billion. The committee will have to find other funding sources for projects that end up lower on the priority list.

Some other top priority projects identified by the community are the U.S.17 corridor study roadway improvements, improving Glenns Bay Road to five lanes and its interchange at U.S.17 Bypass, and a U.S. 701 connector between Carolina Bays Parkway and U.S. 701.

"Within the next couple of years, we would like to see some of these projects get off the ground," said James Bischof, Horry County senior planner.

During the 30-day period for public input, the public can send comments to Mark Hoeweler, planning director at the Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments, 1230 Highmarket St., Georgetown, SC 29440