Trump’s Columbia visit to cause traffic stops, road closures
As President Donald Trump visits Benedict College in Columbia Friday, capital city residents should expect to run into closed roadways and traffic.
Traffic from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Highway 302 will be stopped early Friday afternoon as the presidential motorcade passes through Lexington County on its way to Columbia, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Adam Myrick said.
To get to the college from the airport, Trump’s motorcade will need to cross the Congaree River, which will likely stop traffic on one of the main bridges spanning the river.
Drivers should also expect to see roads closed “at various points” between the airport and Benedict College on Harden Street, Myrick added.
Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said closures in Columbia should not last very long, but declined to say which exact roads would close in the city for security reasons.
Protests planned near campus
Commuters may also experience difficulty traveling on Taylor Street due to a planned anti-Trump protest. The S.C. Democratic Party is asking protesters to meet near the Cory Booker for President Headquarters on Taylor Street at 1 p.m. From there, protesters will march to nearby Benedict College.
The protest comes on the heels of a Republican-led protest in Greenville where U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke earlier this month. Several hundred protesters showed up at the event.
“I don’t know what the count was in Greenville, but we would love to have people who have an aversion to Donald Trump or want their voices heard to show up,” S.C. Democratic Party Chairman Trav Robertson said.
Robertson said he was unsure of how many people planned to protest Friday, but he said the party has communicated with local police about their march route.
Another protest is planned at the Bernie Sanders campaign headquarters building on Blanding Street. Organizers are planning to hand out “Trump baby balloons,” according to a statement.
That group of protesters will then march to the Cory Booker campaign headquarters, where organizers will focus on registering others to vote, according to the statement.
The protest is being organized by 350 Columbia, which is part of a national non-profit group that advocated for criminal justice reform, and Building Better Communities, a group focused on improving relationships between police and communities.
A third protest is being organized by Democratic presidential hopeful Tom Steyer’s campaign. The march will begin at noon at Steyer’s campaign office on Gervais Street and will end at Benedict College, according to a statement from the campaign.
Lexington County Sheriff’s deputies, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, S.C. Law Enforcement Division agents and Columbia police officers will all be working with the Secret Service to direct traffic and ensure the safety of the president, spokespeople for each of the departments confirmed.
Roads will likely close again as Trump finishes speaking at Benedict College and returns to Air Force One.
Maayan Schechter contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
