Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Referred to as 'Malfunction Junction' because of traffic congestion, the area where interstates 26, 20 and 126 meet is a headache for the commuters that drive through it.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation said it will cost about $1.5 billion to fix and they're calling the project Carolina Crossroads.
"The Carolina Crossroads project is the largest project that we've undertaken as a department," program manager Brian Klauk said.
The project is a 14 mile undertaking that includes 12 interchanges from Broad River Road to Colonial Life Boulevard.
"We're looking at each of those interchanges and the interstate to see what kind of improvements we need to make," he said.
There's 49 alternatives to fix the congestion and each has been categorized by cost and impact to people's property and the environment.
Some options have folks on edge.
"We understand the need for roads to be repaired, but destroying this neighborhood and destroying the economic impact it would have would be devastating to the area," Joel Merrill said.
Merrill is President of the Quail Hollow Homeowner's Association. One option would connect I-26 to I-20, but it would cut right through his neighborhood.
According to SC DOT it's just one of the 49 alternatives and compared to other options the cost is high and it would affect 236 homes.
"Anytime there may be a potential property impact, we look to minimize that as best we can and we always work with homeowners," said Klauk.
It's an option that Merrill and his neighbors hope will be eliminated.
According to Klauk the agency hopes to narrow the list of possible options by the end of September.
To see all of the possible alternatives click here.