COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) says the project to repair and modify some of the state's busiest highways is being rescheduled with plans to accelerate some of the road widening phases.
According to the department, coordination with utility lines will push back the third phase of the Crossroads Project and, as a result, will accelerate the road ride widening construction along our highways.
This Crossroads Project is a multi-year reconstruction and renovation of a 14-mile stretch along I-20 and I-26 in the Midlands.
Many call the area "Malfunction Junction."
The first two phases are currently underway.
That first phase focused on I-126 and Bush River Road and lengthened an exit ramp. The second phase involves widening a part of I-20 close to the interchange and creating another ramp.
According to the SCDOT project's website, "Phase 3 consists of reconstruction of the I-20/I-26 system interchange, reconstruction of the I-26/I-126 system interchange, reconstruction of the I-26/St. Andrews Road interchange, reconstruction of the I-20/Bush River Road interchange, completion of the widening of I-20 west of the I-20/I-26 interchange, and widening of I-26 from just west of St. Andrews road to the US-378 interchange."
On Thursday, SCDOT announced that phase three will not start as initially planned and instead, phases one and two will be accelerated from their original timelines.
"The Department is updating the current plan and resequencing the remaining phases of the project to accelerate work along I-20 and I-26 while utility coordination and project development continue in the main interchange area," the agency said. "The accelerated widening along these corridors will be designed to tie in with other widening projects that are reaching milestones ahead of schedule."
"The details of the new project sequence and schedule are actively being developed and are expected to be available in early 2024. In the meantime, construction on the first two phases will continue to move forward unimpeded," SCDOT said but gave no exact dates.
Visit the SCDOT website for more information on the projects.