More lanes are set to be added to a portion of Interstate 26 as the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) begins its latest project.
Secretary of Transportation with SCDOT Justin Powell says the new project will widen I-26 to three lanes in each direction from mile marker 125 in Gaston to mile marker 136 in St. Matthews.
“I-26 is South Carolina’s Main Street. It runs right through the heart of SC from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. It is critical to connecting people with jobs, economic opportunity, and education,” said Powell.
Included will be the fixing and replacing of seven bridges in the area, with new bridges being built over Sandy Run Creek and Murph Mill Creek.
The other five bridges to be rehabilitated include those found off of I-26 on Valley Road, US-21, Big Beaver Creek Road, Sunny Plain Road, and Caw Caw Highway.
According to SCDOT, the total cost for the project is $439.3 million and is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act and SC state funds.
Representative Russell Ott with District 93 says the funding helps complete the project sooner than expected.
“It’s gonna be a big deal for rural SC as we continue to connect our rural communities to our urban communities and at the end of the day, support commerce,” said Ott in a statement.
SCDOT reports that almost 24 million vehicles travel this corridor every year with 5 million of those trips made by tractor trailers.
Senator Nikki Setzler of District 26 says the widening of I-26 is one of the most vital projects across our state when it comes to supporting the economy and tourism.
“This road is the key to economic development in SC because it leads to the port, it’s key to jobs in SC it’s the key for education, it’s key for rural SC so it’s vitally important. The quicker we get it done the better it is,” says Setzler.
This portion of the widening project is expected to be complete by the end of 2027.
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Source: ABC Columbia, WLTX.com
