Interstate 185

Interstate 185 constitutes a 17.70 mile long loop from Mauldin west to Downtown Greenville. 13.69 miles of the route, encircling the Greenville area south from I-85 at Exit 42 to Interstate 385 and U.S. 276 at Mauldin, is the tolled Southern Connector.

Interstate 185 South Carolina Guides

North - 14 photos

South - 51 photos

Previously part of U.S. 29 Business, the original spur taking Interstate 185 into Greenville opened by 1959. It was accessible only from I-85 north via a wye interchange until a late 1990s construction project expanded the exchange to include full access.

Planned since 1967, construction on the Southern Connector broke ground on February 27, 1998 at Moonville. Funded as a joint public and private financed roadway with over $200 million bonds raised, the toll road opened to traffic on February 27, 2001.^1,2 Toll rates along the Southern Connector were $3.00 for cash paying drivers as of January 3, 2012.³ Rates increased to $3.50 in 2016.

scenes

Trailblazers for I-185 Toll and I-385 posted at the intersection of East Standing Springs Road and Neely Ferry Road. On-ramps connect Neely Ferry Road with the Southern Connector north and I-385 south nearby. These ramps also serve traffic from Mauldin and U.S. 276 to the north.

01/13/16

References:

1. "Ground broken on toll road plan in Greenville..." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), February 28, 1998.
2. "Fast facts on Southern Connector." Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC), May 16, 2001.
3. "Tolls rise on Southern Connector near Greenville." abcnews4.com, January 3, 2012.

Connect with:

Interstate 85

Interstate 385

U.S. 25

U.S. 276

Page Updated Monday June 21, 2021.