S.C. I-85/I-385 Interchange Overhaul

[Grzrd]

This Nov. 16 article reports thar SCDOT is planning a $245 million overhaul of Greenville's I-85/ I-385 interchange and that construction should begin in mid-2014.  Here is a map of the planned renovation:


Here is a TV video report about the project.

[CarolinaPaladin]

The improved interchange of I-85 and I-385 in South Carolina will be the first four-level interchange in the state.

For the interchange itself, I would like to see more of a perfect four-stack interchange. 

As for Woodruff Road (SC-146), both of its interchanges at I-85 and I-385 need to convert over to SPUIs. 

[Strider]

I think that the SC 146 interchange with I-85 should be removed. It's too close to the I-385 interchange. They can take I-385 south and take SC 146 exit.

[OracleUsr]

Most traffic on Woodruff Road is headed towards I-385 anyway; that's where the majority of shops are.  Since Greenville Mall became a shell of its former self, a lot of stuff is between I-85 and I-385.

[CarolinaPaladin]

I think that the SC 146 interchange with I-85 should be removed. It's too close to the I-385 interchange. They can take I-385 south and take SC 146 exit.

I will agree.  I-385 has two exits to access Woodruff Road, exits 35 (Woodruff Road) and 37 (Roper Mountain Road).  Another option considered was to build a connector road south of Woodruff Road for the new exit 51A, allowing traffic to use side roads to reach it.  The reasoning the exit may remain is businesses complaining they would lose business from interstate drivers.

Most traffic on Woodruff Road is headed towards I-385 anyway; that's where the majority of shops are.  Since Greenville Mall became a shell of its former self, a lot of stuff is between I-85 and I-385.

The former Greenville Mall, now known as Magnolia Park Town Center, will increase traffic count with some new retailers, restaurants and lodging coming in.  One retailer trying to get on is Bass Pro Shops.

[Alex]

Carter called me from the public meeting on November 15 and was mentioning the designs and projected traffic counts for 2035. They tossed out some crazy numbers like 89,500 on I-385 south of I-85 in 2010 projected to increase to 161,500 by 2035.

The documents from that meeting are online at the SCDOT web site.

The public handout from the meeting - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_Handout.pdf
The overall design and the aforementioned traffic counts - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_display.pdf
Typical section for I-85 (up to 15 lanes) - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_typical85.pdf
Typical section for I-385 (up to ten lanes) - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_typical385.pdf

See the rest of the documents on http://www.scdot.org/inside/public_hearings.aspx (scroll down to I-85/I-385 Interchange Improvements
November 15, 2012 5:00 - 7:00pm at Beck Academy, 901 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC)

[brownpelican]

What they can do IMO is remove the 85 North on ramp and the 85 South off ramp to Woodruff Road.

[Strider]

afraid they would lose business? geez. there is only a mile between both I-385 exits (37 and 35) from the I-85 interchanges. and I-385 is already a major route from Greenville to Columbia with access to I-85. Businesses will be fine.

[CarolinaPaladin]

The preliminary plans show weaving with I-85 to I-385 southbound traffic and I-385 southbound to Woodruff Road traffic.  If I-385 southbound exit 35 and I-85 northbound exit 51B ramps could trade places in the preliminary design before reaching Woodruff Road, traffic flow would be improved.

[Grzrd]

Carter called me from the public meeting on November 15 and was mentioning the designs and projected traffic counts for 2035. They tossed out some crazy numbers like 89,500 on I-385 south of I-85 in 2010 projected to increase to 161,500 by 2035.
The documents from that meeting are online at the SCDOT web site.
The public handout from the meeting - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_Handout.pdf
The overall design and the aforementioned traffic counts - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_display.pdf
Typical section for I-85 (up to 15 lanes) - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_typical85.pdf
Typical section for I-385 (up to ten lanes) - http://www.scdot.org/inside/pdfs/PublicHearings/I-85_i-385_typical385.pdf
See the rest of the documents on http://www.scdot.org/inside/public_hearings.aspx (scroll down to I-85/I-385 Interchange Improvements
November 15, 2012 5:00 - 7:00pm at Beck Academy, 901 Woodruff Road, Greenville, SC)

This Oct. 16, 2014 press release indicates that a contract has been awarded for the project and that construction is scheduled to begin in late fall 2015:

Flatiron, one of the largest infrastructure contractors in North America, along with their joint venture partner Zachry Construction Corporation, have secured a contract for the Interstate 85/Interstate 385 Interchange project in Greenville, South Carolina. The $231 million design-build project for the South Carolina Department of Transportation will reconfigure the interchange at I-85 and I-385, improving traffic operations and safety for about 194,000 vehicles per day ....
The project will replace existing loop ramps with direct-connect, high-level flyover bridges and includes construction of a new collector-distributor roadway along Interstates 85 and 385.The project also includes reconfiguration and replacement of existing ramps, construction of additional lanes along I-85 and I-385, resurfacing and rehabilitation of I-85. Crews will design and construct 12 new bridges, rehabilitate two existing bridges and construct retaining walls. The project will also require extensive attention to traffic maintenance to minimize impact on the traveling public.
The new interchange will relieve congestion and increase safety on the third busiest interchange in South Carolina. The project is the state's largest transportation infrastructure project in over a decade.
The project is led by a joint venture of Flatiron and Zachry Construction Corp., with a design team of Civil Engineering Consultant Services, Inc. as the primary designer, along with Stantec, TYLin, and Mead and Hunt as major subconsultants. Construction is slated to begin in late fall 2015, and scheduled for completion in 2018.

[Grzrd]

This Oct. 16, 2014 press release indicates that a contract has been awarded for the project and that construction is scheduled to begin in late fall 2015

Construction did not begin in late fall 2015, but this February 6 article and video reports on the recent February 2016 groundbreaking for the project:

Heads up if you drive to work on Interstates 85 or 385, going past where they intersect, at night or on weekends.
For the next three years, you may need to schedule a little more time for your commute.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has begun work in earnest on its second-biggest construction project to date — a $231 million redo of the I-85/I-385 interchange in Greenville.
The massive job is expected to take more than three years, and SCDOT officials say they will have to close interstate lanes at various times.
Generally, they said, the interstate lane closures will occur only at night during weekdays, but they could occur during the day on weekends.
At least one lane will always be open on the interstates, they said ....
The job calls for SCDOT and its contractor, Flatiron-Zachry, to build the new interchange around the existing one while keeping the existing one open.
"There will be some temporary delays and detours on a few of the ramps but the interstates will remain open,"  Valetti said.
He said 200,000 vehicles on average go through the I-85/I-385 interchange every day, more than any other intersection in South Carolina, except the Interstate 26/Interstate 20 interchange in Columbia.
SCDOT expects the I-85/I-385 traffic volume to hit 350,000 a day by 2035, Valetti said.
"So if we don't get it now, it's only going to get worse,"  he said.
The $231 million price tag is higher than any other SCDOT construction project, except the decorative Ravel Bridge in Charleston, which cost more than $600 million.