From: BUS

Sumter(Sumter County)
To: North Carolina State Line above McColl (Marlboro County)
Total Length: 94.2 miles
Nationally, US 401 runs from Georgetown to I-85/US 1 above Norlina, NC.

ROUTE LOG
US 76 Bus, US 521: 0 - 0
US 15: 0.3 - 0.3
US 76, US 378: 1.4 - 1.7
Lee-Sumter Line: 7.3 - 9
SC 154: 3.7 - 12.7
SC 527: 4.2 - 16.9
SC 341: 1.5 - 18.4
Darlington-Lee Line: 0.5 - 37.5
SC 403: 7.8 - 45.3
I-20 (exit 131): 0.8 - 46.1
US 52 EB: 8.7 - 54.8
SC 34, SC 151: 0.3 - 55.1
US 52 Bus: 2.8 - 57.9
US 15 SB: 10.8 - 68.7
US 52 WB: 2.1 - 70.8
Marlboro-Darlington Line: 1.2 - 72
SC 912: 5.9 - 77.9
SC 385: 3.2 - 81.1
SC 9 WB, SC 38 NB: 1.3 - 82.4
SC 9 Bus, SC 38 SB: 0.8 - 83.2
SC 9 EB: 1.2 - 84.4
SC 381: 8.1 - 92.5
NC STATE LINE: 1.7 - 94.2

Creation: Appeared in 1957 or 1958 as a renumbering of US 15 ALT from Sumter to Society Hill, and a multiplex with US 15 from Society Hill to North Carolina (including the Bennettsville Bypass which was present in 1958). US 401 ran essentially the way it does now. This is the 2nd US 401 to exist in South Carolina.
Adjustments: In 1971, US 401 was placed on the new Darlington bypass. There was no US 401 Business left behind. Only SC 34 and US 52 Business remained.
Improvements: Fully paved when created
The first multilane section of US 401 appeared at its creation on the Bennettsville Bypass.
The next section to be upgraded was the Darington Bypass in 1971.
No other parts of US 401 are shown as multilane on Official Maps.
Comment: US 401 does not make much since as a through route in South Carolina. The non-multiplexed part between Sumter and Darlington was once part of today's SC 763 and was original SC 412 in the 1920's
US 401 has a two turn zig-zag in the town of Lamar.

Previous US 401's:

US 401 #1: Appeared in late 1932 (after April) as a new US Route. It replaced the entirety of original SC 30, running from US 17 (current US 17 ALT) Walterboro north through St. George, Santee, Sumter, Bishopville, Hartsville, Bennettsville, and McColl on its way to Fayetteville and Raleigh, NC.
US 401 did not last very long -- it was renumbered as part of US 15 in 1935. Most of this is still US 15 or US 15 Business except in Santee it is now the US 15-SC 6 CONN, the bridge over Lake Santee is NOT part of US 401 (the two small bridge pieces to the west with billboards on them are US 401). Through Sumter US 401 followed S-43-5. In Bennettsville, US 401 followed today's SC 385 through town.

US 401 Business Decommissioned

Previous US 401 Business:		US 401 Business: Appeared as early as 1958 as Bennettsville was bypassed to the south. This route had been part of SC 30 originally, as well as the first US 401. Used Main St and Tyson Ave. About the late 1980's, US 401 Business was killed, replaced mostly by an extended SC 385. Tyson Ave became unnumbered, as it remains today. Official Maps even today imply US 15-401 Business is still present, which is absolutely incorrect.

Last Update: 3 February 2005

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