COLUMBIA, S.C. — A small roadway connecting Garners Ferry Road to the Interstate 77 North ramp will remain closed for now, as the state transportation department evaluates whether it needs to return to operation at all.
The path, referred to by the South Carolina Department of Transportation as the northbound "chute," is located off the westbound lanes of Garners Ferry just before the I-77 overpass. It allows drivers to turn right onto the chute, then cross Leesburg Road before going onto the ramp to get on I-77 north.
But in April, it was closed as part of the Interstate 77 bridge rehabilitation project in an effort to reduce traffic backups while that work took place. Cones were placed at the entrance of the chute, blocking drivers' access to it. It had been scheduled to reopen when that worked ended.
However, SCDOT says it is analyzing traffic in that area to see if permanently closing it might actually help with traffic. The agency says over the years there have been problems with backups of people coming off I-77 South at Leesburg Road, which is around the corner from the chute. At points, the agency says the traffic backs ups up onto I-77 itself, which creates a traffic hazard.
But with the chute closed and signal changes along Leesburg Road, the traffic flow has been better on Leesburg Road from the I-77 south off-ramp to Garners Ferry Road. They said when the chute was being used, traffic in both directions of Leesburg Road had to stop while vehicles crossed that road to get to the I-77 North ramp. During peak traffic times, SCDOT says that led to backups between traffic signals, limiting the number of people who could exit off I-77 South.
With the change, SCDOT says only westbound lanes will have to stop for people getting onto the ramp. while allows the eastbound lanes to go through the intersection freely.
They also said it makes it easier for people to make a left turn onto the I-77 North ramp. SCDOT says they'd observed drivers making this turn even when the concrete island and no left turn signal were in place.
SCDOT says they'll continue to monitor traffic in that area over the next few weeks before making a final decision.