Interstate 26 West - Columbia

A parclo B2 interchange joins Interstate 26 with U.S. 21/176 (Charleston Highway) at Exit 119. Northwest from I-26, U.S. 21/176 combine with U.S. 321 by Dixiana to Cayce. Construction rebuilds the interchange with a partial realignment of U.S. 21/176 to the east.

07/10/24

Reassurance marker posted ahead of Toms Branch along Interstate 26 west.

12/19/13

Passing under Old Wire Road, I-26 progresses northward to the first of six interchanges (to I-20) for the city of Columbia.

07/10/24

I-26 passes by a number of industrial businesses and distribution facilities ahead of Dixiana and Interstate 77. Following the Southeastern Beltway around the east side of Columbia to Fort Jackson, I-77 commences a 610 mile long route to Cleveland, Ohio at Exit 116.

07/10/24

Traffic to Williams Brice Stadium, home of University of South Carolina Gamecocks football, is directed north onto I-77 to Exit 5 and S.C. 48 (Bluff Road). Exit 12 and 13 from the Beltway provide access to gates into Fort Jackson, a United States Army Basic Combat Training facility.

07/10/24

The directional T interchange (Exit 116) with Interstate 77 lies opposite a six-ramp parclo interchange (Exit 115) with U.S. 21-176-321 (Charleston Highway) in southwest Cayce. I-77 measures 91.05 miles within the Palmetto State north to Charlotte.

07/10/24

I-77 opened initially between Exit 116 and S.C. 48 in 1986. This stretch of roadway was initially designated as unmarked I-326, and changed to I-77 upon completion of the Southeastern Beltway, which took place in June 1995.

07/10/24

Exit 115 departs for U.S. 21-176-321 north into Cayce within the systems exchange for I-77. U.S. 321 combines with U.S. 21/176 north from Gaston to the southwest to Knox Drive and Huger Street outside Downtown Columbia.

07/10/24

I-26 spans Congaree Creek and proceeds northward one mile to a diamond interchange (Exit 113) with S.C. 302 (Airport Boulevard). S.C. 302 provides one of two routes east from I-26 toward Downtown Columbia, via U.S. 21-176-321 north from Cayce.

07/10/24

Old Dunbar Road (Road 72) spans I-26 west by this confirming marker. Forthcoming S.C. 302 (Airport Boulevard) joins West Columbia and Cayce with Springdale, Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE), Midlands Technical College and South Congaree over the course of 5.5 miles.

04/15/12

S.C. 302 travels 23.18 miles between U.S. 21-176-321 (Charleston Highway) in West Columbia to the east and S.C. 6 at Edmund to the southwest.

07/10/24

Interstate 26 enters the town of Springdale between Exit 113 and the Rainbow Drive (Road 365) overpass.

07/10/24

Westbound distance sign posted at the S.C. 602 (Platt Springs Road) over crossing. I-26 converges with Interstate 20 at what is locally referred to as Malfunction Junction in five miles. Greenville is 101 miles to the northwest via I-385 and Spartanburg 94 miles via I-26.

07/10/24

U.S. 1, which travels east to Camden and west to Wrens, Georgia, meets I-26 at a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 111B/A) in one mile.

07/10/24

U.S. 1 north from I-26 represents the preferred route to the University of South Carolina (USC) campus from the west. USC lies south of Downtown and its basketball venue, Colonial Life Arena is located along Lincoln Street four blocks south of U.S. 1/378 (Gervais Street).

12/31/12

Exit 111B leaves Interstate 26 west for U.S. 1 (Augusta Road) north into West Columbia. U.S . 1 spans the Congaree River on a 1928 concrete arch bridge onto Gervais Street to Downtown and the State Capitol.

07/10/24

Exit 111B loops onto U.S. 1 (Augusta Road) south to Lexington. U.S. 1 meets Interstate 20 at Exit 58 on the outskirts of Lexington in five miles.

07/10/24

Meeting Interstate 26 next is U.S. 378 (Sunset Boulevard) at Exit 110, one mile north of the Leaphart Road (Road 30) overpass. U.S. 378 branches northwest from U.S. 1 (Meeting Street) through West Columbia to meet U.S. 1 again in Lexington.

07/10/24

Interstate 26 briefly enters the city limits of West Columbia twice before crossing the Richland County line into northwest Columbia.

07/10/24

Westbound at the single point urban interchange (Exit 110) with U.S. 378 (Sunset Boulevard) on Interstate 26. U.S. 378 runs 234 miles from Washington, Georgia to Conway.

07/10/24

U.S. 378 enters West Columbia just east of I-26 and combines with U.S. 1/76 east of Downtown Columbia. Botanical Parkway stems north from U.S. 378 in 1.2 miles for the Riverbanks Botanical Garden.

07/10/24

The diamond interchange at Exit 110 was converted to a SPUI in 2005.

04/16/12

Interstate 26 turns northeast toward Exit 108 with I-126/U.S. 76 east into Columbia and Bush River Road to St. Andrews. Portions of the freeway spur into date back to 1959.

07/10/24

The entrance ramp from U.S. 378 (Sunset Boulevards) adds a fourth westbound lane to I-126/U.S. 76 east.

04/16/12

The speed limit reduces to 55 miles per hour as Interstate 26 makes a sharp northwestern turn. I-126/U.S. 76 west merges on the left side of I-26 within the directional T interchange at Exit 108.

07/28/13

Interstate 26 lowers over 100 feet in elevation to cross the Saluda River. A two lane exit ramp separates from the mainline on this stretch for I-126/U.S. 76 east to Elmwood Avenue and Huger Street in Cola and Bush River Road at Morninghill Drive.

07/10/24

Omitted from Exit 108 signs is the I-126 overlap with U.S. 76. U.S. 76 follows the freeway east to Elmwood Avenue, which doubles as Business Spur I-126 to Bull Street (S.C. 277).

04/16/12

Westbound Interstate 26 formally enters Richland County at the 1959 crossing over the Saluda River. The Saluda River flows nearly 200 miles southeastward from Greenville County into the Congaree River by I-126.

06/01/07

A flyover added in 1985 connects I-126 west with I-26 east as Exit 108A separates into single lane ramps for Columbia and St. Andrews. Underway from Spring 2022 to 2019, the Carolina Crossroads project consolidates exits for I-126 east and I-20 into a new distributor roadway.

07/28/13

Traffic splits between the 3.68 mile long I-126 toward Downtown Columbia and Bush River Road, which arcs northwest from U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) at Dutch Square Center mall to St. Andrews Road. Phase 3 of the Carolina Crossroads project, from late 2023 to Fall 2028, eliminates the ramps with Bush River Road and adds a full interchange along I-126 with Colonial Life Boulevard in its place.

07/10/24

Five lanes of I-26 proceed northwest from I-126 to a cloverleaf interchange (Exits 107B/A) with Interstate 20. I-20 joins the capital city with Augusta, Georgia to the west and Florence as part of a 141.51 mile cross state route.

07/10/24

U.S. 76 appears for the first time along I-26 west as Exit 107B to I-20 east leaves. I-20 skims northern reaches of Columbia, representing the northern third of the Columbia Beltway between I-26 and I-77 near Windsor Lake.

07/10/24

Interstate 20 continues west from Exit 107A to Lexington and into August, Georgia from North Augusta. Phase 3 of the Carolina Crossroads project rebuilds the exchange at I-20/26 into a turbine interchange.

12/31/12

I-26/U.S. 76 is a suburban freeway northwest to Irmo with six overall lanes and a barrier median. Carolina Crossroads Phase 4 (2025-28) expands I-26 west to Exit 104 for Piney Grove Road to ten lanes.

12/20/13

St. Andrews Road meets I-26/U.S. 76 at a six-ramp parclo interchange just beyond I-20. Exit 106B provides access to both St. Andrews Road (Road 42) east to U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) and Burning Tree Drive, a parallel frontage road (Browning Road) leading south to Bush River Road.

12/20/13

St. Andrews Road (Road 36) continues northwest from Exit 106A and Richland County through unincorporated St. Andrews to S.C. 60 (Lake Murray Boulevard) in Irmo. Phase 3 work converts Exit 160 into a SPUI.

12/20/13

Commercial frontage lines Fernandina Road, an east side frontage road, along I-26/U.S. 76 west to Harbison Boulevard.

12/20/13

Pine Grove Road (Road 671) crosses I-26/U.S. 76 at a diamond interchange (Exit 104) in one mile.

12/20/13

The next three exits from I-26/U.S. 76 west to Irmo are commercialized.

12/20/13

Piney Grove Road winds east to U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) in north Columbia. West from Exit 104, Pine Grove Road angles southwest through residential areas to St. Andrews Road at an industrial plant.

12/20/13

The speed limit remains at 60 miles per hour along the six lane portion of Interstate 26 through the Columbia metropolitan area.

12/20/13

Carolina Crossroads Phase 4 reconstructs the forthcoming exchange (Exit 103) with Harbison Boulevard by Columbiana Centre mall from a parclo into a diamond interchange. U.S. 76 parts ways with I-26 in another two miles through north Irmo.

12/20/13

Exit 103 loops away from I-26/U.S. 76 west for Harbison Boulevard. Harbison Boulevard heads southwest from U.S. 176, near the split with S.C. 60 (Lake Murry Boulevard), through a commercial strip to St. Andrews Road (Road 36).

12/20/13

Lake Murray Boulevard (Exit 102) carries S.C. 60 west from U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) through the Irmo business district. Beyond the split with U.S. 76, I-26 leaves the Columbia metropolitan area 83 miles to Spartanburg.

12/20/13

A six ramp parclo interchange joins I-26/U.S. 76 with S.C. 60 (Lake Murray Boulevard) in Irmo. Exit 102B departs here for the final mile of S.C. 60 east to U.S. 176.

12/20/13

Exit 102A follows onto S.C. 60 (Lake Murray Boulevard) west back into Lexington County to S.C. 6 by Saluda Dam on Lake Murray. U.S. 176 leaves Harbison State Forest area and combines with U.S. 76 west at upcoming Exit 101.

12/20/13

Interstate 26 reduces to a four lane rural freeway north of Exits 101B/A with U.S. 76/176.

12/20/13

Reassurance shields continue to omit U.S. 76 west to their split at the six ramp parclo interchange with U.S. 176 (Broad River Road).

12/20/13

Exit 101B leaves I-26/U.S. 76 west for U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) east back into Columbia.

12/20/13

U.S. 76 parts ways with Interstate 26 to overlap with U.S. 176 (Broad River Road) through northern reaches of Irmo. The two overlap for 2.94 miles, with U.S. 76 continuing west through Ballentine and White Rock north of Lake Murray.

12/20/13