Highway 277

Measuring 8.14 miles in length, South Carolina Highway 277 runs north from U.S. 76 along Bull Street by the Belleview neighborhood in Columbia to Interstate 77 in north Dentsville. Beyond Harden Street, S.C. 277 upgrades into the Northeastern Expressway, a limited access highway connecting Downtown Columbia with I-20 east toward Florence and I-77 north to Rock Hill.

A 20 year old state highway plan focused on extending the freeway along S.C. 277 southwest from Harden Street Extension to Elmwood Avenue at Wayne Street, and southward along Wayne Street as a boulevard to Gervais Street (U.S. 1) by Downtown Columbia. The 6.3 mile long corridor was slated for potential construction in 1993 and anticipated to take ten years to complete.^1,2 Columbia City Council however blocked the project formally in December 1993.³

Spanning S.C. 277 a half mile north of the interchange with S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) is the Congressman James E. Clyburn Pedestrian Overpass. The crossing was erected to provide a safe way for residents and children to cross S.C. 277 between Lester Drive and Busby Street. Eight lives were lost at the location by pedestrians crossing the freeway over a 30 year period.⁵ Congressman Clyburn visited the site on April 7, 1988 and supported the walkway as part of a $91 million federal aid package.⁴ Work on the $4 million structure commenced in March 2002, with its opening on March 23, 2003. Towers on the structure were modeled after the nearby tower of former Eau Claire City Hall.⁵

Speed limits along a five mile stretch of S.C. 277 reduced from 65 to 60 miles per hour between Interstate 77 and S.C. 555 on February 19, 2001 in an effort to cut the number of traffic accidents as recommended by DOT engineers.⁵ Speed limits drop to 55 MPH southbound at the Congressman James E. Clyburn Pedestrian Overpass.

• North

• South

• North

North

The first confirming marker for S.C. 277 east appears along Bull Street north of U.S. 76 (Elmwood Avenue).
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Colonial Drive (Road 73) angles 0.64 miles northeast from S.C. 277 (Bull Street) at Victoria Street and Belleview to become a part of S.C. 555 at Harden Street.
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Two lanes continue along S.C. 277 onto the Northeastern Expressway at forthcoming Harden Street.
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The remaining 7.46 miles of S.C. 277 northbound line the Northeastern Expressway.
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S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) converges with S.C. 277 by the Colonial Heights neighborhood in 0.75 miles.
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Broad Street (Road 326) spans S.C. 277 a third of a mile west of the diamond interchange with S.C. 555 (Farrow Road).
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S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) parallels S.C. 277 northeast through Dentsville.
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The Congressman James E. Clyburn Pedestrian Overpass
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S.C. 277 spans a Norfolk Southern Railroad line 1.25 miles ahead of the folded diamond interchange with Fontaine Road (Road 218).
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Fontaine Road (Road 218) links S.C. 277 with S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) 0.40 miles to the north and U.S. 1 (Two Notch Road), 0.51 miles to the south.
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Westmore Drive (Road 973) passes over S.C. 277 north beyond this shield assembly at Dentsville.
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A directional cloverleaf interchange joins S.C. 277 with Interstate 20 north of mile marker 5.
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The exit for Interstate 20 east to I-77 south for Fort Jackson and Florence departs from S.C. 277 north.
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A loop ramp follows from S.C. 277 north for Interstate 20 west to Augusta, Georgia.
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S.C. 277 provides a cutoff from I-20 east to Interstate 77 north.
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The diamond interchange with Parklane Road serves Carolina Research Park, the South Carolina Archives & History Center and Midlands Technical College among other points of interest.
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Parklane Road heads south 1.44 miles to U.S. 1 (Two Notch Road) by Columbia Place Mall in Dentsville and north 0.73 miles to S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) at Carotech Boulevard.
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The wye interchange at the north end of S.C. 277 includes a slip ramp for the exit joining Interstate 77 with S.C. 555 (Farrow Road).
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A $24.990 million contract was awarded by SCDOT on October 31, 2018 for the replacement of the bridge linking S.C. 277 north with Interstate 77. This work was part of a design-build project widening I-77 from south of I-20 to Killian Road.⁷
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Northbound S.C. 277 concludes at I-77 within the folded diamond interchange (Exit 19) at S.C. 555 (Farrow Road).
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• South

South

S.C. 277 branches southwest from I-77 and S.C. 555 ahead of a diamond interchange with Parklane Road at Dentsville.
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Parklane Drive runs 2.17 miles south from S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) at Carolina Research Park to U.S. 1 (Two Notch Road) at Decker Boulevard.
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S.C. 277 (Northeastern Expressway) provides a cutoff from I-77 south to I-20 west along the north side of Columbia. Until 1995, S.C. 277 and I-20 were part of Temporary I-77, as the Southeastern Beltway was incomplete until that time.
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Interstate 20 travels west to I-26 at St. Andrews, Lexington and North Augusta.
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The directional cloverleaf interchange with I-20 only includes access to westbound from S.C. 277 south.
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Interstate 20 travels west from the Palmetto State to Augusta and Atlanta, Georgia.
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Confirming marker posted ahead of mile marker 5.
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S.C. 277 (Northeastern Expressway) enters the Columbia city limits south at Fontaine Road (Road 218).
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Parallel S.C. 555 (Farrow Road) converges with S.C. 277 south at a diamond interchange by the Colonial Heights neighborhood in Columbia.
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The Congressman James E. Clyburn Pedestrian Overpass crosses S.C. 277 at Busby Street.
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S.C. 555 continues 1.84 miles south from S.C. 277 to S.C. 12 (Forest Drive) at Allen University and the Waverly neighborhood in Columbia.
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A half diamond interchange links S.C. 277 with S.C. 16 (Sunset Drive) at Colonial Heights.
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A 9.55 mile long route, S.C. 16 encircles Columbia along Beltline Boulevard west to U.S. 176 (River Drive) at Three Points and south to S.C. 48 (Assembly Street) by the South Carolina State Fairgrounds.
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S.C. 277 transitions onto Bull Street south beyond the exchange with S.C. 16 (Sunset Drive / Marshall Street).
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The Northeastern Expressway concludes at the intersection of Bull and Harden Streets.
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Bull Street comprises a six lane boulevard 0.68 miles south from Harden Street to U.S. 76 (Elmwood Avenue).
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The last reassurance marker for S.C. 277 precedes the traffic light with Confederate Avenue.
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Colonial Drive (Road 73) extends 0.64 miles southwest from S.C. 555 at Harden Street to S.C. 277 (Bull Street) at Victoria Street.
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U.S. 76 is unmarked from S.C. 277 (Bull Street) south at Elmwood Avenue.
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U.S. 76 turns south onto Bull Street for 0.89 miles from S.C. 277 at Elmwood Avene to U.S. 1/378 (Gervais Street) at the University of South Carolina (USC).
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U.S. 76 lines Elmwood Avenue 0.51 miles west from the south end of S.C. 277 to the exchange joining U.S. 21/176/321 with Interstate 126 and Huger Street.
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Connect with:
Interstate 20
Interstate 77
U.S. 21
U.S. 76

Page Updated 12-07-2022.