COLUMBIA, S.C. — Starting Friday night, a five mile long stretch of Interstate 77 northbound near Columbia will be shut down for nine days. And that's going to mean some detours for people who normally use that road to get around town.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation is closing the road so they can repair multiple bridges in that area. For years, drivers have complained about the conditions of the road, which numerous people saying they've sustained damage to their vehicles by driving over potholes.
The shutdown will from the I-77/I-26 interchange to the Bluff Road exit, also known as Exit 5, and will last through Sunday, April 2. For this phase of the project, only northbound lanes are affected; Southbound lanes will be worked on later.
What detours will be in place?
If you normally take I-26 from Charleston up through Columbia, getting off at the interchange to I-77 so you can go to Blythewood, Winnsboro, or Charlotte, this path will be affected.
To get around, transportation officials say you should take I-26 west to I-20 east to Highway 277 North, and then get back to I-77 that way. The detour will add about 20 miles to your trip.
While there are other ways to get around the detour, the big thing SCDOT stresses is to plan your route in advance.
If you are travelling south on I-77...the interstate will be open, so you won't have to take the detour, and northbound lanes past the closure will be open.
The southbound lanes will also be shutdown for a stretch of nine days but not likely until the end of April.