South Carolina

[fillup420]

Any updates on the status of the old US 15-301 Bridge over Lake Marion?

last i drove past it was about a year ago. the old bridge is still there, but is completely closed off with fences on both ends

[D-Dey65]

last i drove past it was about a year ago. the old bridge is still there, but is completely closed off with fences on both ends

So basically the same as when I took the pictures in November.

[roadman65]

What is up in St. George?  I noticed that there are no shields whatsoever for both US 15 and US 78 there.  No JCT, no directional shields, and even no guide signs or TO I-95 shields.

Then north of there US 178 is not shielded at the flasher light intersection on US 15 northbound  but at least a guide sign is there plus two interstate shields for both I-95 and I-26.  Did SCDOT now cut funding to shield their highways?

[WashuOtaku]

What is up in St. George?  I noticed that there are no shields whatsoever for both US 15 and US 78 there.  No JCT, no directional shields, and even no guide signs or TO I-95 shields.

Then north of there US 178 is not shielded at the flasher light intersection on US 15 northbound  but at least a guide sign is there plus two interstate shields for both I-95 and I-26.  Did SCDOT now cut funding to shield their highways?

The truth is more scary as the town is trying to confuse visitors so they are unable to leave.

[Mapmikey]

What is up in St. George?  I noticed that there are no shields whatsoever for both US 15 and US 78 there.  No JCT, no directional shields, and even no guide signs or TO I-95 shields.

Then north of there US 178 is not shielded at the flasher light intersection on US 15 northbound  but at least a guide sign is there plus two interstate shields for both I-95 and I-26.  Did SCDOT now cut funding to shield their highways?

It appears in St George when they replaced the stoplight structure which had shields attached in 2 directions they did not put the shields back.

I have no explanation for the US 15-178 jct.

South Carolina has never been stellar about route posting in my lifetime.  The last times I was down there (Nov 2019 and Feb 2020) I did not notice a reduction of postings and I did drive around a fair bit.

[roadman65]

See the cloverleaf in Columbia between I-20 and I-26 is slated for removal to a mega interchange incorporating many cd roads and braided ramps with other nearby interchanges especially with I-126.

https://www.thestate.com/news/traffic/article245914475.html

[The Ghostbuster]

Hopefully, in the future, traffic will not have to exit to stay on Interstate 26 at its interchange with Interstate 126. Oh, and give Interstate 126 and SC 277 exit numbers.

[D-Dey65]

Why did SCDOT realign and lower US 17 around an embankment north of SC 315 three or four years ago? It looks like they're increasing the risk of flooding for drivers.

[Mapmikey]

Why did SCDOT realign and lower US 17 around an embankment north of SC 315 three or four years ago? It looks like they're increasing the risk of flooding for drivers.

The embankment was the approaches to a early 1950s bridge over the railroad which has been gone a while.  Had nothing to do with keeping water off the road.

I presume rebuilding the road off to the side was cheaper than replacing a bridge that was no longer necessary.

[D-Dey65]

Why did SCDOT realign and lower US 17 around an embankment north of SC 315 three or four years ago? It looks like they're increasing the risk of flooding for drivers.

The embankment was the approaches to a early 1950s bridge over the railroad which has been gone a while.  Had nothing to do with keeping water off the road.

I presume rebuilding the road off to the side was cheaper than replacing a bridge that was no longer necessary.

Sounds like the same thing that was done with FL 50 in Mabel, only they kept the same alignment.

BTW, I looked at that railroad line, and it crosses US 17 again just south of the north end of the SC 170 overlap leading to the CSX Charleston Subdivision just south of the bridges under I-95.

[cowboy_wilhelm]

See the cloverleaf in Columbia between I-20 and I-26 is slated for removal to a mega interchange incorporating many cd roads and braided ramps with other nearby interchanges especially with I-126.

https://www.thestate.com/news/traffic/article245914475.html

That's pretty impressive. I was looking at this interchange the other day and wondering if it was ever going to be upgraded. The last time I drove through it was 15 years ago, and it was a complete cluster then. Can't imagine now and in the future.

[architect77]

What is up in St. George?  I noticed that there are no shields whatsoever for both US 15 and US 78 there.  No JCT, no directional shields, and even no guide signs or TO I-95 shields.

Then north of there US 178 is not shielded at the flasher light intersection on US 15 northbound  but at least a guide sign is there plus two interstate shields for both I-95 and I-26.  Did SCDOT now cut funding to shield their highways?

I hate graphic design faux pas more than regular mistakes because it highlights just plain stupidity,

Those blue SC shields that someone intended to look nice cannot be clearly appreciated from moving traffic and from the distance of the driver.

When you fail to deliver regarding the main function of signs that relay clear info to the intended audience, it suggests that there's no oversight or quality control practiced by the issuing agency by the state. But the bar isn't set very high in the state anyway.

[Gnutella]

See the cloverleaf in Columbia between I-20 and I-26 is slated for removal to a mega interchange incorporating many cd roads and braided ramps with other nearby interchanges especially with I-126.

https://www.thestate.com/news/traffic/article245914475.html

Sweet, now I know what Jeff Blake is doing after he retired from the NFL in 2005: He's a writer for The State.

[jflick99]

SCDOT is releasing plans to upgrade the I-526 corridor. This includes major changes to the I-26, Paul Cantrell Blvd, and N Rhett Ave interchanges. There will be a virtual public meeting on Thursday, which will have more details about the changes.

https://www.live5news.com/2020/11/10/scdot-releases-plans-changes-i-i-other-interchanges/

[tolbs17]

http://prntscr.com/vnvr9e

why does this look so sloppy?

[Dirt Roads]

http://prntscr.com/vnvr9e

why does this look so sloppy?

Looks like this was recently opened, as the aerials posted on Ducky show the long bridge under construction.  The mapping techniques get confused translating construction equipment into a digital path for roadway lanes.  Additionally, it looks like the portion of the bridge over the swampland near Enterprise Road is narrower than the bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway.  That would make it more difficult to trace the path of the lanes (unless the program was designed to determine the centerline between the lanes before charting the lanes themselves).

[D-Dey65]

I know that my Wikipedia photograph and article on the St. James General Store in St. James, New York has increased the number of visitors to that prized relic, because an employee who works there told me. And I also know that the my pictures of the Richloam General Store in the Withlacoochee State Forest has done the same, because the woman who works there told me the same thing. Now, I'm starting to wonder if my pictures of the former segment of US 17 between Exits 22 and 33 on I-95 has gotten the attention of any travelers and curiosity seekers. I tried to look for the traffic count for Jasper County from SCDOT, but I didn't find anything.

BTW, this is my 2,727th post, but I decided against adding some route shield in order to celebrate it.

[ahj2000]

Anyone know where US 701 ends? I know there is (was?) a sign on 17 coming into Georgetown from Pawleys that said 17-701, and IIRC, there wasn't any good END signage on 701. It's a weird road, only connecting to 501 and 301, not actual US 1.

[Mapmikey]

US 701 ends at the US 17-17 ALT-701 intersection.

The 17-701 sign is legacy signage (finally removed 2013-15) from when US 701 continued with US 17 to Charleston until 1992.

As for why 701 was the number, I don't know but NC/SC asked for US 317 when they applied for a Charleston to Smithfield corridor.

[ahj2000]

US 701 ends at the US 17-17 ALT-701 intersection.

The 17-701 sign is legacy signage (finally removed 2013-15) from when US 701 continued with US 17 to Charleston until 1992.

As for why 701 was the number, I don't know but NC/SC asked for US 317 when they applied for a Charleston to Smithfield corridor.

Huh. Thanks for that.
Surprised that they'd refuse a 317 when 701 works much less well. The only X17 is 117 in NC.

[74/171FAN]

OSM is showing that SC 18 around I-85 (Exit 95) has been relocated.  Has anyone clarified that this is correct in the field?  I cannot seem to find any news articles even on the I-85 Widening website.

[sernum]

OSM is showing that SC 18 around I-85 (Exit 95) has been relocated.  Has anyone clarified that this is correct in the field?  I cannot seem to find any news articles even on the I-85 Widening website.

the whole project area has needed some serious tlc for awhile, so I doubt it has.

[D-Dey65]

More Santee stuff;

At the intersection of US 15, US 301 and Bass Road (old US 15), there's an elongated turning ramp from southbound Bass Road to Southbound US 301. Shouldn't there also be another turning ramp from northbound US 15 to US 301, especially since the two routes are merged northeast of that intersection?

[fillup420]

More Santee stuff;

At the intersection of US 15, US 301 and Bass Road (old US 15), there's an elongated turning ramp from southbound Bass Road to Southbound US 301. Shouldn't there also be another turning ramp from northbound US 15 to US 301, especially since the two routes are merged northeast of that intersection?

Looks to me like its left over from before I-95 was built. Back then, that intersection would've been the southern split of 15 and 301. North of there, the routes were concurrent through town and across Lake Marion. The extra connections between the mainline and the ramp north of the intersection show this. SC has a lot of these wye-type intersections around the state. a lot of them have been upgraded over the years, but many still remain.

[Mapmikey]

More Santee stuff;

At the intersection of US 15, US 301 and Bass Road (old US 15), there's an elongated turning ramp from southbound Bass Road to Southbound US 301. Shouldn't there also be another turning ramp from northbound US 15 to US 301, especially since the two routes are merged northeast of that intersection?

Looks to me like its left over from before I-95 was built. Back then, that intersection would've been the southern split of 15 and 301. North of there, the routes were concurrent through town and across Lake Marion. The extra connections between the mainline and the ramp north of the intersection show this. SC has a lot of these wye-type intersections around the state. a lot of them have been upgraded over the years, but many still remain.

This is correct.  1957 aerial shows exactly same configuration as today for the former US 15-301 split.

Definitely no need for a corresponding ramp from 15 NB to 15-301 NB.  Almost nobody is making this movement, since US 15 intersects I-95 a few miles south of here.

Interestingly, there are traffic count stations in all 4 directions from this intersection and they are (2019):
US 301 west of jct - 6800
US 15 south of jct - 1750
US 15-301 east of jct - 4300
Old 15-301 north of jct - 7900

The distribution before the reconstruction was a little closer between old and new 15-301

Source - https://scdot.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=fe2e97641eac493094342c502369814b