The Highways of South Carolina I-26 
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I-126 | I-326 | I-526
I-85
From: US 17US 52 Charleston (Charleston County)
To: North Carolina State Line near Landrum (Spartanburg County).
Nationally, I-26 runs from Charleston to US 11W-23 Kingsport, TN.
Total Length: 220.1 miles  
ROUTE LOG
NC STATE LINE: 0 - 0
EXIT 1 - SC 14: 0.9 - 0.9
EXIT 5 - SC 11: 4.4 - 5.3
EXIT 10 - SC 292: 4.6 - 9.9
EXIT 15 - US 176: 4.1 - 14
EXIT 17 - S-42-40: 2.7 - 16.7
EXIT 18 - I-85 (exit 70): 0.9 - 17.6
EXIT 19 - I-85 Bus (exit 2): 0.9 - 18.5
EXIT 21 - US 29: 2.3 - 20.8
EXIT 22 - SC 296: 1 - 21.8
EXIT 28 - US 221: 6.1 - 27.8
EXIT 35 - S-42-50: 6.4 - 34.2
EXIT 38 - SC 146: 3.5 - 37.7
EXIT 41 - SC 92: 2.5 - 40.2
EXIT 44 - SC 49: 3.6 - 43.8
Laurens-Spartanburg Line: 1.5 - 45.3
EXIT 51 - I-385 (exit 1): 6.1 - 51.4
EXIT 52 - SC 56: 0.6 - 52
EXIT 54 - SC 72: 1.1 - 53.1
EXIT 60 - SC 66: 6.2 - 59.3
Newberry-Laurens Line: 1.5 - 60.8
EXIT 66 - S-36-32: 5 - 65.8
EXIT 72 - SC 121: 5.3 - 71.1
EXIT 74 - SC 34: 2.4 - 73.5
EXIT 76 - SC 219: 2 - 75.5
EXIT 82 - SC 773: 6.2 - 81.7
EXIT 85 - SC 202: 3.2 - 84.9
Lexington-Newberry Line: 3.7 - 88.6
EXIT 91 - S-32-48: 2.2 - 90.8
Richland-Lexington Line: 1 - 91.8
EXIT 97 - US 176: 4.4 - 96.2
EXIT 101 - US 76 WB, US 176: 5 - 101.2
EXIT 102 - SC 60: 0.7 - 101.9
EXIT 103 - S-40-757: 1.2 - 103.1
EXIT 104 - S-40-1280: 0.9 - 104
Lexington-Richland Line: 0 - 104
EXIT 106 - S-32-36: 2.1 - 106.1
EXIT 107 - I-20 (exit 64): 0.7 - 106.8
Richland-Lexington Line: 0 - 106.8
EXIT 108 - I-126, US 76 EB: 0.6 - 107.4
Lexington-Richland Line: 0.3 - 107.7
EXIT 110 - US 378: 1.5 - 109.2
EXIT 111 - US 1: 1.6 - 110.8
EXIT 113 - SC 302: 1.9 - 112.7
EXIT 115 - US 21, US 176, US 321: 1.7 - 114.4
EXIT 116 - I-77 (exit 1): 0.3 - 114.7
EXIT 119 - US 21, US 176: 4.3 - 119
Calhoun-Lexington Line: 0.7 - 119.7
EXIT 125 - S-9-31: 4.4 - 124.1
Lexington-Calhoun Line: 2.7 - 126.8
EXIT 129 - US 21: 1.4 - 128.2
Calhoun-Lexington Line: 1.6 - 129.8
EXIT 136 - SC 6: 6.2 - 136
EXIT 139 - S-9-22: 2.8 - 138.8
Orangeburg-Calhoun Line: 1.4 - 140.2
EXIT 145 - US 601: 4.5 - 144.7
EXIT 149 - SC 33: 3.5 - 148.2
EXIT 154 - US 301: 5.5 - 153.7
EXIT 159 - S-38-36: 4.7 - 158.4
EXIT 165 - SC 210: 5.6 - 164
EXIT 169 - I-95 (exit 86): 3.7 - 167.7
Dorchester-Orangeburg Line: 0.6 - 168.3
EXIT 172 - US 15: 2.5 - 170.8
EXIT 177 - SC 453: 5.5 - 176.3
Berkeley-Dorchester Line: 9.4 - 185.7
EXIT 187 - SC 27: 0.9 - 186.6
EXIT 194 - S-8-16: 7.1 - 193.7
EXIT 199 - US 17 ALT: 4.7 - 198.4
EXIT 203 - S-8-62: 4.1 - 202.5
Charleston-Berkeley Line: 0.6 - 203.1
EXIT 205 - US 78: 1 - 204.1
EXIT 208 - US 52 CONN: 3.7 - 207.8
EXIT 209 - S-10-75: 0.5 - 208.3
EXIT 211 - S-10-1342: 2 - 210.3
EXIT 212A (old 212) - S-10-13: 0.3 - 210.6
EXIT 212BC - I-526 (exit 17): 0.6 - 211.2
EXIT 213 - S-10-62: 1.4 - 212.6
EXIT 215 - SC 642: 2.6 - 215.2 EXIT 216 - SC 7: 0.6 - 215.8
EXIT 217 - US 52: 1 - 216.8
EXIT 218 - S-10-32: 0.5 - 217.3
EXIT 219 - S-10-46: 1.3 - 218.6
EXIT 220 - US 17 NB: 0.5 - 219.1 EXIT 221 - US 17 SB, US 52: 1 - 220.1
 Creation: I-26 first appeared on the 1959 Official Map. It was shown as under construction from SC 11 Campobello to SC 453 Harleyville.
Adjustments: By 1961, I-26 was shown as open from SC 11 to US 29 Spartanburg and from US 276 (current I-385) Clinton to US 21-176 Dixiana. Additional construction since 1959 included SC 453 to US 78 Ladson.
In 1962, I-26 was opened from SC 11 to SC 121 (current SC 210) Bowman. Additonally, I-26 was under construction from US 78 to SC 7 North Charleston.
In 1963, I-26 was opened from SC 121 to US 78 Ladson, and construction began from SC 11 to the North Carolina border.
In 1964, construction began on I-26 from SC 7 to Rutledge Ave (current Exit 219).
Between 1965-67, I-26 was opened from NC to SC 7. The remaining freeway to US 17 was under construction.
The remaining I-26 was complete in 1968 or 1969.
Improvements: 4 lane freeway at inception. From the US 52 CONN eastward to I-26's end was initially built as 6 lanes.
I-26 below I-126 was built initially as 4 lanes (the 1962 cover shows the I-26/US 1 interchange). However, I am not certain if I-26 above I-126 was built with 6-lanes out to US 176 or not.
I-26 was definitely six-laned above I-126 by 1982.
I-26 was 6-laned from I-126 to near US 21-176 Dixiana in the late 80s-early 90s, in stages IIRC.
I-26 was 6-laned from US 52 CONN to US 17 ALT in the mid 90s.
I-26 is slated to be 8 lanes from Exit 209 to I-526 in the future.
Some exits were not part of the original lineup: I-95 (1976); S-8-63 (1982); I-77 (1987); I-526 (1990); I-85 (1995); US 17 NB (2005). The SC 60 exit was a half-interchange until the early 90s. Also, the Harbison Blvd exit near Irmo may not be original either.
Comment: I-26 serves three major cities in South Carolina - Charleston, Columbia, and Spartanburg, but only really passes inside Charleston.
Most folks would say I-26 ends at only US 17, but there are also direct ramps to and from I-26 to Meeting St (US 52) at its end. There is a posted ramp to King St (US 78) down there, as well, but the ramp merges onto US 17 first then exits a short distance later to King St.
The original concrete was still in use from US 15 to near SC 27 and also everything below the Midland Park Road overpass as late as 2002. I don't know if either of these sections has finally been asphalted or not.
I-26 received its exit numbers in 1976.
I-26 blows off US 78 near EXIT 219.
Before the new US 17 bridge over the Cooper River was built, there was an Exit 220 (WB only) for Romney Ave. I do not know if it is still there with the new interchange in place.
Other than the big cities, I-26 remains a quiet ride through lots of swamps in the southeast and hilly piedmont to the northwest.
Last Update: 1 April 2006

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