INMAN, S.C. (WSPA) – We have a 7NEWS update about an Inman road that was on its way to shutting down. Now, efforts to please everyone will keep it open.

The one-way strip coming off of Asheville Highway was in the process of being closed down for good. After the City of Inman and its developers did some more digging, they found a solution to benefit everyone.

What used to be part of a carriage path is now a well-traveled road. Shutting down a section of East Main Street in Inman was given the green light by the city, Spartanburg County and the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).

“It seemed with SCDOT’s support that closing the road was the number one option,” said Joe Lanahan.

A Plus Development owns the property on both sides and petitioned to have the strip shut down, which left some residents upset.

“To cut off traffic, all of a sudden is just not the correct thing to do. It will cause wrecks,” said Petro Ramantanin.

Joe Lanahan, with the City of Inman, said after spending more time studying the problem, the city and developers found another solution.

“So, you ended up with more property than you need for one lane of travel,” he said. “So, the city has agreed to grant an easement to allow the developer to come up a little bit and that will allow them to finish their parking lot.” 

7NEWS spoke with the owner of Big Daddy’s earlier in February. He said he created a petition to stop the road from being closed.

“I turned it into the city council. There are 160 plus names, of which 60 are absolutely, directly affected,” said Ramantanin.

Lanahan said all of their voices were heard at that Monday night council meeting.

“I think it’s a good process. It’s exactly what we’re here to do. It’s exactly what our council wants to do,” said Lanahan. “They want the city and residents to speak up if they have a concern and they’ll always be considered.”

Safety is still a concern for the city with how fast people drive on that road. So, they’re back at work with the Department of Transportation.  

“We’ll look at some traffic calming measures coming off of Asheville Highway, to keep it as safe as possible,” said Lanahan. “Increased signage as you come off of Asheville Highway, because we’re going to have two new retail spots there. It is a city road, so we can do things like medians, possibly a stop sign.”

Lanahan said they hope to keep this little corner of the world safe as it continues to grow.

The plan for the area is for two retailers to set up shop and Lanahan said all the construction should be done in around six months. The developers also bought seven acres, but the plan for that is not finalized yet.