LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Transportation is expanding Interstate-26 between mile marker 125 and 136.
The $439 million project will expand the southbound and northbound lanes to three on each side.
Governor Henry McMaster says there is growth in South Carolina
“Well, you hear all this racket, all this noise. That’s the sound of money, and that means that South Carolina is growing,” said McMaster. “We’re ahead of the rest of the states, we’re the envy of the whole country. South Carolina is now a model of commerce and conservation.”
Justin Powell is the Secretary of Transportation at SCDOT. He says road expansion provides opportunities.
“I-26 is South Carolina's main street. It runs right through the heart of South Carolina, from the Upstate to the Lowcountry. It is critical to connecting people to jobs, economic opportunities and education.”
In addition to lane expansion, seven bridges between Gaston and St. Matthews will be replaced or rehabbed.
RELATED: Do you travel Sunset Drive in Columbia? You might need to find an alternate route for a few weeks
Lexington Senator Nikki Setzler says this expansion is needed for tourism in South Carolina.
“If you’re backed up on I-26 going to Charleston for three hours or four hours on Friday afternoon or Saturday, you got no tourism,” Setzler said. “It can help kill tourism if we don’t get this done, and we got a tremendous tourism industry in South Carolina. It’s a critical part of that.”
Construction is expected to be finished by the end of 2027.