Should I-26 be widened from Columbia to Charleston?

[Cosocar]

I-26 is becoming a travel super-artery in the Southeast. Traffic is getting worse on I-26 below Columbia, especially in the summer and around Christmastime. The Port of Charleston is booming and adding more truck traffic everyday. The threat of hurricane evacuation sometimes clogs the highway. Why should we wait and let I-26 become another I-95? What do you think?

[roads-scholar]

I voted yes because my travels typically take me on I-26 between Columbia and I-95. The amount of traffic on that stretch of road seems to grow each time a make the trip!

I used to travel on US-321 between Hardeeville and Columbia. This would be a great alternate evacuation route if it was widened and rerouted away from some of the small towns.

[MikesLogic]

I frequent this road fairly often and traffic is pretty bad at certain times of the day and of course certain times of the year. It would not hurt my feelings one bit if they widened this stretch of road, though I feel there are many other areas of interstate in our state that need work done. Still I voted yes.

[Charleston native]

Absolutely, yes. I frequent this part of the highway as well with most of my family and many friends who live in my hometown, and the traffic is bad even traveling at 9pm! I remember when I-26 was easygoing if you drove it at night.

[Spartan]

I think that maybe somwhat important, but 26 from Columbia to Spartanburg is very bad at most hours of the day, as is 385 from Clinton to Greenville. I think that at the very least 26 from Columbia to Clinton should be widened (since that is where Greenville and Spartanburg traffic converge) before any other stretch of that interstate.

Not an SC topic, but 26 from Hendersonville to Asheville is horrible too.

[Jerseyman4]

I would say yes for a couple reasons:

I-26 serves the major metro areas of SC

Recreational traffic volumes are moderate to high year round whether it is the beach or the mountains

Most South Carolinans use I-26 as a long distance route more than any other interstate.

It would encourage expansion and growth to the ports

Improve hurricane evaucations

Improve safety

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As spartan said, I-26 should see a widening project from Spartanburg to Asheville as there is a lot of sprawl occuring in Hendersonville and Arden areas just south of Asheville. I would say the widening project should be all 6 lanes between Asheville and Summerville. 8 lanes may be considered through the metro areas if needed. Throughout the widening project, i would like to see a few things done:

Wired guardrails throughout the median of the highway where there are areas that do not have it

Reconstruct all bridges incase someday it needs to be 8 lanes from 6

Rebuild the outdated/very old interchanges to standard diamonds

Rebuild the I-95 interchange to a cloverleaf with collector/distributor lanes

[Spartan]

Also, the 95/26 intersection is horrible and needs to be upgraded.

[krazeeboi]

Also, the 95/26 intersection is horrible and needs to be upgraded.

I SECOND that!

[Charleston native]

Also, the 95/26 intersection is horrible and needs to be upgraded.

You got another vote for that one! This intersection needs an upgrade badly.