The South Carolina Department of Transportation is planning to start lane reversals on major highways Wednesday for coastal areas being evacuated due to Hurricane Matthew.
Lane reversals are planned from roads heading out of Charleston to start at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.
Interstate 26 eastbound will be reversed starting at 3 p.m., with traffic heading away from the coast until the intersection of I-26 and I-77 in Columbia, said Derrec Becker with the S.C. Emergency Management Division.
That means commuters in Columbia will not be able to travel I-26 eastbound out of Columbia. However, interstates will be functioning normally northwest of Columbia, Becker said.
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Here is a list of reversals provided by SCDOT Tuesday night:
Hilton Head - One lane is reversed to create three lanes traveling west on U.S. 278 at the intersection of the Spanish Wells Drive and Moss Creek Village Drive. This reversal is approximately two miles in length.
Beaufort - U.S. 21 is reversed to create three lanes at U.S. 21 Business and continues until U.S. 17.
Charleston to Columbia - A full, four lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston begins at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County.
Horry County - Horry County has two, four lane reversals: S.C. 544 to U.S. 378 and S.C. 22 (Conway Bypass) to S.C. 576 near Marion County.
Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall urges drivers on all highways to drive with extreme caution during hurricane conditions, particularly those using reversed lanes to evacuate the coastal areas. "The usual rules of the road are changed in reversed lanes. The reversals are designed to keep traffic flowing, however, traveling speeds will be slower than normal. Drivers need to pay extra attention while in reversed traffic, Hall said.
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