CHAPIN, S.C. — Parts of Interstate 26 will see more lane closures in the coming days as part of the South Carolina Department of Transportation's work to widen the road.
A 16-mile segment is affected, from north of Columbia to Chapin.
“It takes longer to get where you need to go, it holds you up,” said Sandra Sims, who drives in the area frequently.
South Carolina drivers like Sims say the road closures and construction on I-26 can be overwhelming as she drives her food truck from Newberry to Chapin.
“It was very difficult getting here because it was so many different terms and detours, certain roads we had to go through, it was very complicated,” she said.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation said the Columbia Avenue exit at mile marker 91 will shut down at night for four days next week. The closures will begin Monday, July 15, from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and run until Thursday, July 18, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
A detour will route have drivers take Exit 85 (S.C. 202).
Drivers planning to take the eastbound and westbound onramps to I-26 from U.S. 176 at the Peak exit—which is at mile marker 97—can also expect closures next week. The eastbound ramp is set to close from Monday, July 15, until Tuesday, July 16. Both these closures will start at 7 p.m. and run until 6 a.m. the following morning.
A detour for the eastbound ramp will direct traffic to the Columbia Avenue exit.
The westbound ramp is set to close from Monday until Tuesday, but drivers can expect the ramp to re-open at 7 a.m.
A detour for the westbound ramp will move traffic to Exit 101.
In a statement to News19, SCDOT said:
“These closures will allow our crews to pave the areas and tie them into the new intersections. this will also allow them to prepare for future paving that will tie all of the interstate ramps and intersecting routes together.”
Truck drivers like Darrell Mitchell, who are just passing through, said navigating I-26 has been difficult for months.
“If the wheels are not turning, we're not earning so we want to keep it moving and with their lane lane closures and everything you get behind and then you gotta try to make up time if you're on a tight schedule," Mitchell said. "It puts a little damper on everything,” he said.
Mitchell said this area has been the worst of all the states he's been through.
“This is the absolute worst area," he said. "There is all of the lane closures, all of the construction, this time of the day, everybody's merging at the same time."
SCDOT said this is all part of their Midlands Connection Project to widen I-26 from four lanes to six and eight lanes from exit 85 in Little Mountain to exit 101 in Irmo. Drivers can expect this project to be done by the end of this year.
“If you don't know the road, you can easily make a mistake, causing an accident. Hopefully, soon, we hope maybe sometimes this year, they can get the roads together,” Sims said.