Interstate 85 North - Greenville County

Frontage roads accompany both sides of I-85/U.S. 29 preceding the directional cloverleaf interchange (Exit 42) with Interstate 185 and the Southern Connector.

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Completed by 1959, I-85 north from Exit 34 to I-185 was originally built as an expressway bypass of Willimaston, Pelzer and Piedmont for U.S. 29.

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Opened to traffic on February 27, 2001, the Southern Connector is a 13.69 mile long toll road providing an alternate route for I-385 south toward Columbia.

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The Southern Connector encircles the south side of the Greenville area by Golden Grove and Donaldson Center Airport (GYH). The toll road ties into I-385 and U.S. 276 south of Mauldin.

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The Southern Connector was built to promote economic growth on the south side of the Greenville area and as part of a commuter route to Mauldin, Simpsonville and Fountain Inn via I-385.

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Upgraded by 1999, Exit 42 originally consisted of a wye interchange with access from I-85 north to I-185/U.S. 29 north and from I-185/U.S. 29 south to I-85 south. Construction expanding the exchange began by 1996.

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U.S. 29 overlaps with I-185 northeast 2.7 miles to Mills Avenue at Henrydale Drive. U.S. 29 continues to Downtown Greenville and Bon Secours Wellness Arena along Mills Avenue and Church Street. Augusta Street north from U.S. 29 leads to Fluor Field, a 5,700 seat minor league baseball stadium.

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I-85 proceeds east from I-185/U.S. 29 across CSX and Norfolk Southern Railroad lines and Old Piedmont Highway.

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The six-ramp parclo interchange at Exit 44 joins I-85 with U.S. 25 (White Horse Road) in one mile.

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A collector distributor roadway for U.S. 25 (White Horse Road) separates from I-85 north at the half diamond interchange (Exit 44A) with S.C. 20 (Piedmont Highway).

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U.S. 25 travels south from Greenville to Greenwood and North Augusta.

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Although there is no Exit 44A on I-85 north, the c/d roadway to U.S. 25 is assigned Exit 44B.

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Late 1990s widening of I-85 through Greenville included expanding the exchange at U.S. 25 (White Horse Road) with two loop ramps.

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Prior to 1995, U.S. 25 through Greenville separated with U.S. 25 Bypass following White Horse Road and U.S. 25 Business taking Augusta Road, Main Street and Rutherford Street.

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U.S. 25 links the city of Greenville with the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center (SCTAC), Donaldson Center Airport (GYH) and the community of Gantt.

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Frontage roads accompany I-85 east along the succeeding stretch to Augusta Road.

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1990s reconstruction expanded Interstate 85 with six through lanes plus two lane collector distributor roadways for the exchanges with Augusta Road, S.C. 291 (Pleasantburg Drive) and Mauldin Road.

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S.C. 291 is an arterial belt route encircling Greenville 11.40 miles north from U.S. 25 (White Horse Road) to S.C. 253 (State Park Road) by U.S. 276 (Poinsett Highway).

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The c/d roadway for Exits 46 A/B/C runs 1.87 miles along I-85 northbound to parclo interchanges with Augusta Road, S.C. 291 (Pleasantburg Road) and Mauldin Road.

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Exit 46A connects with Augusta Road (former U.S. 25 Business). Augusta Road leads north to U.S. 29 (Church Street) and S Main Street outside the Greenville central business district. Southward the arterial converges with S.C. 291 (Pleasantburg Drive) in 0.45 miles.

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Exit 46B to S.C. 291 (Pleasantburg Drive) north follows into the city of Greenville toward Nicholson, Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) and I-385 at Exit 40.

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Mauldin Road (Road 107) comprises an arterial running 3.67 miles southeast from Augusta Road to I-85 at Exit 46C and Butler Road leading into the city of Mauldin.

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SCDOT recorded 117,100 vehicles per day along I-85 between Exit 46 and 48 in 2019.

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Distribution and other industrial businesses line the south side of Interstate 85 west of the cloverleaf interchange (Exits 48A/B) with U.S. 276 (Laurens Road).

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I-85 continues northeast beyond U.S. 276 three miles to I-385 and 27 miles to Spartanburg.

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Exit 48A next departs I-85 north for U.S. 276 (Laurens Road) east to Main Street and the Mauldin city center.

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U.S. 276 (Laurens Road) east concludes 5.63 miles southeast of Exit 48A where I-185 and I-385 converge. Prior to 1984, U.S. 276 extended southeast to Fountain Inn, Simpsonville, Gray Court and Laurens.

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U.S. 276 (Laurens Road) is a commercial boulevard northward from I-85 into central Greenville. Bypassing Downtown, U.S. 276 shifts onto Stone Avenue west to Rutherford Street north en route to Travelers Rest.

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Interstate 85 crosses Laurel Creek and the SCL Railway just east of U.S. 276. Office buildings and other businesses line the south side of I-85 along parallel Millennium Boulevard and Carolina Point Parkway.

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Meeting I-85 at Exits 51 B/C is Interstate 385, a 42.16 mile long route between Downtown Greenville and I-26 near Clinton.

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A c/d roadway commences from I-85 northbound in one mile leading first to the parclo interchange (Exit 51A) with S.C. 146 (Woodruff Road).

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Work broke ground in February 2016 on the 85-385 Gateway Interchange Project reconstructing the previous directional cloverleaf at Exit 51 into a systems exchange.

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S.C. 146 runs 33.45 miles from U.S. 276 (Laurens Road) in Greenville to S.C. 56 at Cross Anchor. Locally the highway constitutes a busy commercial arterial east to Five Forks.

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I-85 continues with six overall lanes through the multi level interchange with I-385.

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The final bridge constructed in the I-85/I-385 Gateway project opened to traffic on December 6, 2019. The $300 million project was fully completed in 2020.¹

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Exit 51A leaves the c/d roadway for S.C. 146 (Woodruff Road). Heavy retail spreads along both Woodruff Road and adjacent Interstate 385, adding to area traffic congestion.

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Interstate 385 travels 36 miles south from I-85 to I-26 at Clinton. I-26 continues southeast from there to Columbia.

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Interstate 385 was extended south over what was U.S. 276 from Mauldin to Clinton in 1984. The Golden Strip Freeway linking I-85 with U.S. 276 at Old Stage Road was completed in June 1985.

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Interstate 385 encircles the city of Mauldin before overtaking U.S. 276 southeast to Simpsonville. The commuter freeway extends south with six lanes to near Exit 24 in Fountain Inn. The remainder of I-385 is rural by Gray Court and Laurens.

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The I-85/I-385 Gateway Project included the construction of ten new bridges.¹ It was originally anticipated for 2014-17 at a cost of $245 million.

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The Interstate 385 spur to North Street at Downtown Greenville was completed in 1962.

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The c/d roadway from I-385 adds an auxiliary lane along I-85 northbound to the six-ramp parclo interchange (Exit 54) with Pelham Road.

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Interstate 85 shifts northward through an S-curve from Oak Grove Lake to Rocky Creek.

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Pelham Road (Road 492) branches southeast from E North Street near Bob Jones University in Greenville. The arterial stretches 7.55 miles east to Bathesville Road.

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Pelham Road leads west through suburban areas to Butler Hill in Greenville and east from Exit 54 by a series of industrial parks to Batesville and S.C. 14 south of Pelham.

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S.C. 14 runs north from Simponsville, Five Forks and Pelham to meet Interstate 85 at Exit 56.

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Interstate 85 crosses the Enoree River north of Pelham.

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Measuring 59.24 miles overall, S.C. 14 extends north to Landrum and I-26 near the North Carolina state line and southeast along the former route of U.S. 276 to Fountain Inn and Laurens.

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North from Exit 56, S.C. 14 circumvents Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) onto Main Street through the city of Greer.

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Interstate 85 northbound advances a half mile to a slip ramp (Exit 57) for Aviation Parkway into Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP).

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The exchange with S.C. 14 across the Spartanburg County line was upgraded to a single point urban interchange (SPUI) by 2003. Exit 56 was the first SPUI built in South Carolina.

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