State Route 22, 277, 30 and 31 in South Carolina

State Route 22 in South Carolina

State Route 22 is a state route and freeway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The highway forms a wide bypass of the Conway region and provides access to the Atlantic coast. The highway is 63 kilometers long.

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Travel directions

State Route 22 begins northwest of the town of Conway on US 501 and runs first east, then south, with a wide arc around Conway. The area is also fairly sparsely populated and consists of forests with meadows here and there. Just before the urbanized coast follows an interchange with State Route 31, the coastal highway. Then State Route 22 ends at US 17 near Briarcliffe Acres.

History

The highway was built between 1999 and 2001. In November 2000, the first section east of Conway opened that made little sense for through traffic. Since May 4, 2001, the route is fully accessible. The project was completed six months ahead of schedule.

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Future

It is suggested that State Route 22 be made part of Interstate 73 in South Carolina. The highway largely complies with the Interstate Highway design requirements.

Traffic intensities

In 2011, 5,500 to 12 noon vehicles drove daily around Conway and 23,800 vehicles on the last leg up to US 17.

State Route 277 in South Carolina

State Route 277 or SR-277 is a state route and freeway in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is also known as the Northeastern Freeway. The highway connects downtown Columbia with Interstate 77 over a length of 12 kilometers.

Travel directions

State Route 277 begins on the north side of downtown Columbia from the underlying road network. The highway will then have 2×2 lanes and head northeast through the suburbs and suburbs of Columbia. The highway has a remarkably wide median strip for an urban freeway. In the suburbs, there is an interchange with Interstate 20, after which SR-277 ends at Interstate 77 towards Charlotte.

History

The road was originally planned as an urban beltway around Columbia, the road number also hinting at Interstate Highway status. When a southward extension of I-77 from Charlotte to Columbia was approved by the federal government in 1969, a spur to downtown Columbia was also envisioned. Construction of the highway began in 1973, and the highway was subsequently opened to traffic in phases until 1977.

Traffic intensities

39,000 vehicles drive daily into downtown Columbia, rising to 49,000 vehicles to the interchange with I-20 and then 50,000 to 53,000 vehicles to I-77.

State Route 30 in South Carolina

State Route 30 or SC-30 is a state route in the U.S. state of South Carolina. Also known as the James Island Expressway, the road forms a short 5-mile expressway in the city of Charleston.

Travel directions

State Route 30 is a three-mile highway between James Island and downtown Charleston. The SC-30 has no direct connections to other highways and has two fixed bridges over the Ashley River and a side channel. The road ends on the Charleston minor road network.

History

James Island began suburbanizing in the 1950s when the growth of the city of Charleston meant that the city had no room for expansion. The James Island Expressway was considered as a toll road as early as the 1960s, but it was determined at the time that tolls would not fund its construction. Later the population of James Island grew considerably, which led to congestion, especially because the other bridges over the Ashley River are bascule bridges. State Route 30 had only fixed bridges and was finally opened to traffic on September 4, 1993.

Traffic intensities

50,000 vehicles use State Route 30 every day.

State Route 31 in South Carolina

State Route 31, also known as the Carolina Bays Parkway, is a state route and freeway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The highway is the bypass of the Myrtle Beach region and is 49 kilometers long.

Travel directions

State Route 31 at Socastee.

State Route 31 bypasses the urbanized coast of the Myrtle Beach region and runs more or less parallel to US 17 in South Carolina. The route has 2×3 lanes for its entire length and has an interchange with State Route 22.

History

The highway was built to relieve the Myrtle Beach tourist area and allow for fast traffic along the coast. Most of the highway was opened on December 17, 2002 between US 501 and the end at Little River. In March 2005 a short extension opened westward to Socastee.

The third phase of the highway was an extension from State Route 544 in Socastee to State Route 707 around Surfside Beach. Construction had already been delayed several times, but finally started on November 6, 2013. The completion of the highway was severely delayed, the highway is finally opened on November 7, 2019, after almost exactly 6 years of construction time.

Opening history

Future

A northward extension to US 17 in North Carolina is also being considered. In time there will be a fast coastal route from Charleston to Wilmington.

Traffic intensities

Every day, 24,000 to 39,000 vehicles travel along the SC-31 along Myrtle Beach.