The Highways of South Carolina I-526 
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I-526
From: US 17 Charleston (Charleston County)
To: I-526 Bus SPUR, US 17 Mt. Pleasant (Charleston County)
Total Length: 23 miles  
ROUTE LOG
EXIT 9 US 17: 0 - 0
EXIT 9 SC 7: 0.2 - 0.2
EXIT 11 SC 61 CONN: 1.3 - 1.5
EXIT 13 Leeds Ave: 2.5 - 4
EXIT 15 SC 642: 1 - 5
EXIT 16 S-10-62 (Montague Ave): 0.5 - 5.5
EXIT 16 Airport: 0.5 - 6
EXIT 17 I-26 (exit 212): 0.5 - 6.5
EXIT 18 US 52, US 78: 0.5 - 7
EXIT 19 S-10-60 (N. Rhett Ave): 1.5 - 8.5
EXIT 20 S-10-38 (Virginia Ave): 0.5 - 9
Berkeley-Charleston Line: 0.5 - 9.5
EXIT 23 S-8-33 (Cainhoy Rd): 3.5 - 13
EXIT 25 Daniel Island: 2 - 15
Charleston-Berkeley Line: 1 - 16
EXIT 30 S-10-97 (Long Point Road): 4 - 20
EXIT 33 I-526 Bus SPUR, US 17: 3 - 23
Creation: I-526 was signed on the Mark Clark Expwy for the first time around 1989, when the freeway was connected to I-26. The freeway ran from US 52-78 Rivers Ave west around to US 17. From SC 642 to US 17 was a renumbering of SC 31.
Adjustments: In 1992, I-526 was extended east to N. Rhett Ave (S-10-60)
Also in 1992, I-526 was opened from Long Point Rd to US 17 in Mt. Pleasant. This was an upgrade to a 2-lane road built about 1980 as an access road from US 17 to the Port Authority facility (the road used the EB ramp from Long Point Rd, which has a bridge on it dated 1980).
The section across Daniel Island opened in 1995.
Improvements: 4 lane freeway since inception. The road was conceived in the 1960's and has some older design features, such as median widths. Construction did not begin until 1979. The Leeds Ave Bridge and the Ashley River Bridge were the first parts, with the bridges dated 1980. The road opened as an unnumbered freeway between Leeds Ave and SC 61 in 1982.
Comment: I-526 is signed at both ends as US 17 Truck (approaching on US 17), but there are no US 17 signs anywhere along the freeway. The route is a continous bridge from just west of I-26 to just east of S-8-33, a distance over 5 miles. The Cooper River crossing is directly next to a pulp mill and is frequently both foggy and fragrant.
I-526 was envisioned to continue west and south past US 17 to SC 700, then east back to SC 171 and tie in to the existing James Island Expressway, SC 30. This would require 2 Stono River Bridges. I do not know if this extension will ever occur.
I-526 Bus
From: SC 703 Mount Pleasant (Charleston County)
To: I-526, US 17 Mt. Pleasant (Charleston County)
Total Length: 1.8 miles  
ROUTE LOG
SC 703: 0 - 0
I-526 (exit 33), US 17: 1.8 - 1.8
Creation: I-526 Business spur was signed in 1995, as a renumbering of US 17 Business.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: 5 lane road since inception.
Comment: 526 Spur is signed along Georgetown Hwy north of Mt. Pleasant. It was once part of original SC 40.

Last Update: 22 December 2004

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