I-85
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From: Georgia State Line at Fair Play (Oconee County)
To: North Carolina State Line at Grover NC (Cherokee County)
Total Length: 106.4 miles  
Nationally, I-85 runs from I-65 Montgomery AL to I-95/US 460 Petersburg VA
ROUTE LOG
GA STATE LINE: 0 - 0
EXIT 1 - SC 11: 0.5 - 0.5
EXIT 2 - SC 59: 1.8 - 2.3
Anderson-Oconee Line: 1.6 - 3.9
EXIT 4 - S-4-23: 0.1 - 4.0
EXIT 11 - SC 24, SC 243: 7.1 - 11.1
EXIT 14 - SC 187: 2.5 - 13.6
EXIT 19 - US 76, SC 28: 5.7 - 19.3
EXIT 21 - US 178: 1.2 - 20.5
EXIT 27 - SC 81: 6.5 - 27.0
EXIT 32 - SC 8: 4.6 - 31.6
EXIT 34 - US 29 SB: 2.5 - 34.1
EXIT 35 - SC 86: 1.0 - 35.1
EXIT 39 - S-4-143: 3.8 - 38.9
EXIT 40 - SC 153: 1.2 - 40.1
Greenville-Anderson Line: 0.4 - 40.5
EXIT 42 - I-185 (exit 14), US 29 NB: 1.4 - 41.9
EXIT 43 - SC 20: 0.7 - 42.6
EXIT 44 - US 25: 0.4 - 43.0
EXIT 46A (old exit 45) - S-23-201: 2.1 - 45.1
EXIT 46B - SC 291: 0.3 - 45.4
EXIT 46C (old exit 46) - S-23-107: 0.4 - 45.8
EXIT 48 - US 276: 2.2 - 48.0
EXIT 50 - SC 146: 2.1 - 50.1
EXIT 51 - I-385 (exit 36): 0.3 - 50.4
EXIT 54 - S-23-492: 3.0 - 53.4
Spartanburg-Greenville Line: 2.1 - 55.5
EXIT 56 - SC 14: 0.1 - 55.6
EXIT 57 - Greenville-Spartanburg Airport: 0.8 - 56.4
EXIT 60 - SC 101: 3.5 - 59.9
EXIT 63 - SC 290: 3.4 - 63.3
EXIT 66 - US 29: 2.6 - 65.9
EXIT 68 - SC 129: 2.1 - 68.0
EXIT 69 - I-85 Bus: 1.5 - 69.5
EXIT 70 - I-26 (exit 18): 1.2 - 70.7
EXIT 72 - US 176: 1.8 - 72.5
EXIT 75 - SC 9: 2.7 - 75.2
EXIT 77 - I-85 Bus: 2.4 - 77.6
EXIT 78 - US 221: 0.5 - 78.1
EXIT 80 (old exit 79) - S-42-57: 1.4 - 79.5
EXIT 83 - SC 110: 3.5 - 83.0
Cherokee-Spartanburg Line: 0.6 - 83.6
EXIT 87 (old exit 86) - S-11-39: 3.1 - 86.7
EXIT 90 - SC 105: 3.2 - 89.9
EXIT 92 - SC 11: 2.4 - 92.3
EXIT 95 - SC 18: 2.6 - 94.9
EXIT 96 - SC 18: 1.3 - 96.2
EXIT 100 (old exit 99) - S-11-83: 3.3 - 99.5
EXIT 102 - SC 5, SC 198: 2.6 - 102.1
EXIT 104 - S-11-99: 2 - 104.1
EXIT 106 (old exit 105) - US 29: 1.8 - 105.9
NC STATE LINE: 0.5 - 106.4
 Creation: I-85 first appeared on the 1959 Official Map. It was shown as open from SC 129 Lyman to North Carolina. This was an addition to US 29 which had been built here several years prior. I-85 was also shown as under construction from SC 129 southwest to I-185 Greenville.
Adjustments: In 1961, I-85 was shown to be under construction from Georgia to I-185.
In 1962, I-85 was shown open from the Saluda River below I-185 northeast to SC 129. Note that west of SC 291 was an improvement to the early US 29 Bypass of Greenville.

1959 Official
I-85 opens from SC 129 to North Carolina
1959 Official
1962 Official
I-85 opens from Saluda River to SC 129
1962 Official

In 1964, I-85 was shown opened from SC 24-243 to US 178 near Anderson.
In 1965, I-85 was shown as open from Georgia to SC 24-243 and also from US 178 to the Saluda River, completing I-85 in South Carolina.

1964 Official
I-85 opens from SC 24-243 to US 178
1964 Official
1966 Official
I-85 opens from Georgia to the Saluda River
1966 Official

In 1995, I-85 was placed on a new interstate alignment bypassing Spartanburg from SC 129 to US 221. The old route through Spartanburg became I-85 Business.

1986 Official
I-85 through Spartanburg
1986 Official
1996 Official
I-85 bypasses Spartanburg
1996 Official

Improvements: 4 lane freeway at inception. IIRC, only a short piece around the US 276 to I-385 area was 6-laned by 1988.
The 1995 Bypass of Spartanburg was built as 6-laned.
Benjamin Ingram reports that I-85 was 6-laned from US 29 Anderson County to SC 129 in 2001.
He also reports that around 2003, I-85 was 6-laned from US 29 Anderson County south to US 76-SC 28.
The only exit that has been added to I-85 (not counting the new Spartanburg bypass) is the one for SC 291, which appeared in 1998 or 1999.
I believe some exits have been eliminated north of Spartanburg, which were accesses to frontage roads.
Comment: I-85, unlike I-95, is always very busy in South Carolina, serving Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson, as well as larger towns like Gaffney and Greer.
The famous Gaffney Peach water tower is right along I-85 SB just after SC 11. Legend has it that it is mooning Charlotte.
Although I-85 has been modernized in a number of locations, the stretch from US 221 to the NC State Line contains examples of what early interstates were like. This is partly because the road itself dates back to the early 50s. When I drove this frequently in the late 80's it seemed really ancient (most of the bridges were still original then).
I-85 received its exit numbers in 1976. Some of the exits north of Spartanburg have been renumbered because of the slightly longer length added on the Spartanburg Bypass.
I-85 blows off SC 56 and SC 150, although SC 150 gets mentioned on BGS's at the SC 11 exit (NB) and the SC 18 exit (SB). The exit at SC 20 is a partial interchange, with entry only to I-85 NB and exit only from I-85 SB.

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Page last modified 2 September 2017