Downtown Myrtle Beach's New 501 Is Due This Month. Here's What Changes Around Ninth Avenue and Broadway.

The City of Myrtle Beach expects the realigned U.S. 501 to open to traffic in late October, and Oak Street near Mr. Joe White Avenue to reopen in mid-October. Final paving won't come until spring 2027. The Ninth Avenue North work, first set to start this September, has been moved to fall 2027. In its September 14 update, the city said that delay was meant "to minimize impacts to area businesses."

In order, those dates describe a rebuild staged in steps through fall 2027, with the street that has the most storefronts held for last. The road opening this month is the midpoint.

What the New Road Moves

Right now, 501 comes into downtown on a skewed angle across Main Street. The realignment takes 501 at the Broadway Street intersection and runs it to Seventh Avenue North at Oak Street. Seventh Avenue between Oak Street and North Kings Highway gets new sidewalks and intersection upgrades. The city's Arts and Innovation District page says the new route replaces two blocks of 501 along Main Street.

This has been coming for a long time. The project was on the list Horry County voters approved in 2016 under the RIDE 3 referendum, a one-percent sales tax for local roads, as WMBF reported. In January 2019, WPDE covered SCDOT's design reveal. SCDOT described the old layout as a dangerous skewed intersection and the new one as a grid-style alignment. At that point construction was expected to start in spring 2022 and take about 18 months. The visible start finally came in March 2026, when SCDOT's contractor took down the row of buildings that faced 501.

Horry County's project page lists a $13.9 million RIDE 3 budget and about $12.5 million spent. That page was last updated in April 2025, so those numbers are a snapshot from then, not current costs.

Where Each Piece Stands as of Mid-October

The Oak Street work and the 501 work look like one big construction zone from the driver's seat, but they're separate projects. A July report in The Sun News said the city's Oak Street and City Services utility work isn't connected to the SCDOT realignment. They run on different schedules, and that's why they're expected to finish a couple of weeks apart.

Every date in that table is a city forecast. WPDE reported on September 15 that Oak Street was on track for mid-October. As of October 12, no newer public notice confirms that either road has opened. The schedule has slipped before. Summer coverage pointed to a September or October reopening, and the September update narrowed that to late October.

Why Ninth Avenue Waits

The 2027 postponement makes sense once you look at who's on Ninth Avenue North. Boteco VIP is at 503 9th Ave. North. HTC Aspire Hub, the coworking space that opened in 2022, is a few doors down at 509 Ninth Avenue North. The Downtown Alliance's First Friday ArtWalk roster includes Tasting Room on 9th along with Fresh Brewed Coffee House, Dolly Llama, Winna's Kitchen, William H. Miller Studios, Long Bay Theater, Vision Arts Gallery, Gallery 320, EndZone Tavern, Island Vibez, The Tavrne, Swig & Swine, and The St. George Bar.

Those businesses already lived through one long closure this year. In January, the city closed North Oak Street between Ninth Avenue North and Mr. Joe White Avenue to through traffic. Only the City Services Building kept local access. WMBF's coverage included reactions from nearby businesses such as Boteco VIP and Milano Kitchen & Bath Center. Starting Ninth Avenue in September would have stacked a second disruption on top of the first, on the street where several of these businesses actually have their doors.

The city also put some money behind the people who stayed. On August 25, City Council approved a Façade Improvement Program and a Vacant Storefront Incentive, with applications opening September 1. The façade program reimburses 50% of eligible costs, up to $10,000 per project. The storefront incentive covers eligible permit and business-license fees in certain downtown ART and C7 corridors, and business-license reimbursement is capped at $3,000 unless the city authorizes more. When WMBF reported on the launch on August 27, it noted that Boteco VIP owner Fabiana Oliveira had been operating on Ninth Avenue for nearly two years. The city hasn't named any recipients yet. Business owners weighing either program should confirm eligibility with the city and their own advisors, since this is a general overview and not legal or financial advice.

October Evenings Inside the Work Zone

The roads aren't finished, but the district's calendar is full. Grand Strand Brewing Company opened in 2021 in the former Edwards Five & Dime building at 819 North Kings Highway. It sits next to Nance Plaza, which the city counts as one of the district's completed pieces. Here's what's on the schedule between now and Halloween:

1. Wednesday, Oct. 14, 9 to 10 a.m. 1 Million Cups at HTC Aspire Hub, 509 Ninth Avenue North.
2. Wednesday, Oct. 14, 6 to 8 p.m. DJ Music Bingo at Fall Nights at Nance, 825 North Kings Highway.
3. Thursday, Oct. 15. Neon Moon at Nance Plaza.
4. Saturday, Oct. 24. Live music at Grand Strand Brewing.
5. Wednesday, Oct. 28, 6 to 8 p.m. A second DJ Music Bingo night at Nance Plaza.
6. Thursday, Oct. 29. Tru Sol Band's Boo Bash at Nance Plaza, the same night a Jeep Jam stops at Grand Strand Brewing.
7. Friday, Oct. 30. Grand Strand Brewing's Halloween Eve event.

Two blocks over, Kaleidoscope Artisan Collective at 915 Broadway St. posts its own visiting hours. The Historic Myrtle Beach Train Depot at 851 Broadway Street is the city's restored rental venue for meetings and receptions.

For parking, the city's January closure notice sent drivers to public lots behind Grand Strand Brewing and at the Train Depot and Ninth Avenue North. Those directions came out before the summer utility closures and the current paving, so check the city's latest notices before relying on them. The same goes for the September update. Even when 501 opens, more work at Broadway Street and final paving are still planned through spring.

What Is Still a Sketch

A few downtown projects are further out than the road.

The Broadway Theatre is the biggest one. Coastal Carolina University and the city announced a 300-seat venue that combines the historic buildings at 807, 809, and 811 Main Street, with an opening planned for summer 2026. Reporting from a January 27, 2026 council meeting, The Post and Courier said the project was four months behind and expected to open toward the end of the year. No newer opening date or programming schedule has been published.

The old two blocks of 501 along Main Street are the other open question. The city's district plan shows Main Street converting to a pedestrian or multipurpose link in a future phase, with timing listed as "TBD." A community hub with a library and children's museum space is also still listed among future pieces of the district. Nothing published so far says when either one will happen.

So for the next year, the schedule looks like this. Oak Street should reopen first, with the new 501 following in late October. Final paving is due in spring, and Ninth Avenue North comes after that, in fall 2027.

If you own a home or a storefront near the Arts and Innovation District and want to understand what this road schedule could mean for your property over the next year, I'm happy to talk it through with you. You can reach me at Natalie Rakoci. Let's Connect.