Here’s how to avoid some of Columbia’s most notorious railroad crossings
Columbia has had many nicknames – Cola, Soda City, Famously Hot, the City of Dreams – but a more appropriate name might be “The City of Inconvenient Railroad Crossings.”
A milestone of living in the Capital City is knowing the best ways to get around these crossings when you inevitably get stuck behind a pair of gates and flashing lights on your way home or to work. While we all wait for updates on an ongoing project to separate the city’s roads and rails, here are some ways to get around stopped and passing trains in the area.
Assembly Street by California Dreaming:
If you’re stuck facing the direction of Williams-Brice Stadium, your best bet is to head back towards Blossom Street and turn right onto Wheat Street, right again onto Sumter Street and then right once more onto either Catawba or Whaley Street to get back onto Assembly.
If facing downtown, follow these directions in reverse order.
Assembly Street between Sonic and Palmetto Bank:
This is one of the more well known train-related shortcuts in town. If facing towards Williams-Brice, turn left onto Catawba, right onto Main and right once again onto Whaley Street to head under the bridge and back towards Assembly. Once again, follow these directions in reverse if heading towards downtown.
Assembly Street by the old Capital City Stadium:
If facing Williams-Brice, turn around and take a right onto Whaley Street, take another right onto Bull Street, follow it as it turns into South Bull Street until you reach Rosewood Drive. On the off-chance that the train is not also blocking the crossing at the intersection of Rosewood and Assembly, you can take a right onto Rosewood and proceed back to Assembly.
If facing downtown, you can turn around and take a left onto Rosewood and follow these directions in reverse.
But what if the gates are also down at the intersection of Rosewood and Assembly?
Assembly Street at the intersection with Rosewood Drive:
When the stopped train stretches across Assembly by Capital City Stadium and through the Assembly and Rosewood intersection, you’re kind of stuck. But if you’re passionate about not waiting, here’s an option.
If heading towards Williams-Brice, follow the directions listed above: Whaley to Bull and then South Bull, then take a left on Rosewood Drive. Follow Rosewood all the way down until you turn right onto Garners Ferry Road, following until you reach I-77. Take 77 South until Exit 5-Bluff Road. Exit onto Bluff Road, turn right and head northwest back towards downtown, passing Williams-Brice and the South Carolina State Fairgrounds until you reach Rosewood Drive. Taking a right will take you back towards Assembly.
If you’re on the Williams-Brice side of a train blocking both Assembly and Rosewood, you can use Bluff Road to head back towards I-77 and follow these directions in reverse, taking 77 North until reaching Exit 9A-Garners Ferry Road.
Of course by that time, the train may have already moved.
Huger Street as it curves and becomes Whaley Street, near Olympia Mills:
If heading towards Whaley, take a right onto Catawba Street, another right onto Williams Street and another right onto Blossom Street. Cross the bridge and take a right again onto Assembly before taking another right back onto Whaley.
If heading towards Huger, take a left onto Church Street, another left onto Heyward Street, left onto Wayne Street and a right onto Whaley Street. This will take you back towards Assembly.
Keep in mind that the tracks that cross the Huger/Whaley curve also lead to the various crossing on Assembly Street, so you may need to reference some of the directions listed previously to get where you need to go.
Pickens Street near Di Prato’s, between Wheat and Rice streets:
Drivers heading south away from the University of South Carolina campus can turn right onto Wheat Street, left onto Sumter, left onto Whaley and back to Pickens.
If heading in the direction of the university, turn left onto Bull Street, right onto Whaley and follow the previous directions in reverse order.
If you know a better way to get around the listed crossing or get stuck somewhere we didn’t include here, let us know here.
This story was originally published May 25, 2023 at 11:10 AM.