With Marlboro County students back in class, new crosswalks and flashing signs are helping define a busy intersection near Marlboro County High School.
The improvements were installed on May 13 at Fayetteville Avenue and Tyson Street in Bennettsville. The project added four high-visibility crosswalks, a painted curb extension and two solar-powered flashing signs to alert drivers approaching the crossing.
Justin Foxworth, a Clemson Cooperative Extension Rural Health and Nutrition agent serving Dillon and Marlboro counties, brought city officials, transportation representatives and community partners together to address long-standing safety concerns at the intersection.
The road carries traffic entering and leaving Bennettsville, as well as vehicles traveling to the high school and a nearby cotton gin. Its wide turning area offered drivers little direction, contributing to blind spots, hesitation and unpredictable traffic patterns. Community members had reported near misses, and transportation officials had reviewed the area following crashes.
Foxworth worked alongside Brittany Jones, director of business and community development with the City of Bennettsville, representatives from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and other community organizations to conduct a walk audit, study the intersection and identify improvements that could be completed with available funding.
The team secured $7,500 through the South Carolina Walkability and Active Transportation Workshop Series hosted by Wholespire and the South Carolina Department of Public Health to pay for the crosswalks, curb extension and flashing signs.
The project took about a year as partners developed the design, secured permits, hired contractors and coordinated with transportation officials. The team is currently evaluating the impact of the installation based on community feedback.
“Justin’s relationships with the key stakeholders helped facilitate the success of this project,” said Michelle Altman, a Clemson Extension Rural Health and Nutrition Team associate who works with the team’s Healthy Options Program.
Foxworth, a retired Navy veteran, identified people who could move each part of the project forward. He connected local officials with regional and statewide resources while keeping community concerns at the center of the work.
Mary Beth Johnstone, program manager for Clemson Extension’s Healthy Options Program, said trust is essential when Extension agents work with communities on transportation and public health projects.
“The relationship building is a key component of this work,” Johnstone said. “We have to meet communities where they are by listening to their needs and working alongside them to develop solutions that truly make a difference.”
Building safer rural communities
The Bennettsville project is part of Clemson’s Healthy Options Program (HOP), which is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High Obesity Program.
Led by principal investigator Sarah Griffin, HOP works in 10 rural South Carolina counties to improve access to healthy foods and create safer opportunities for physical activity. Its walkability efforts help connect residents with schools, parks, businesses, churches and other everyday destinations. Communities that prioritize infrastructure supporting active transportation, including walking, biking and rolling, experience both economic and public health benefits.
Extension agents receive training in walk audits, community engagement and demonstration projects. They review local plans, identify partners and listen to residents before testing potential solutions and gathering feedback.
The Bennettsville team worked with regional and statewide SCDOT representatives throughout the planning and permitting process. Foxworth also connected city officials with technical assistance for an application to the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program, which helps communities develop safety plans and implement demonstration projects based on traffic patterns, crashes and pedestrian risks. The town was awarded $270,000 through the program in December 2025.
Clemson Extension is collecting community feedback about the new installation. Survey results will help evaluate residents’ perceptions and inform future safety discussions.
Partners have also identified possible accessibility improvements and other measures to slow traffic and make vehicle movements more predictable. Those changes would require additional planning and funding.
For now, the crosswalks and flashing signs offer a visible example of what can happen when Extension agents, residents and public agencies work together.
As buses, student drivers, families and pedestrians travel through the intersection this school year, they have a clearer route across the road and a safer path to school.
