Nighttime lane closures to impact traffic on some of Midlands busiest roads

Drivers traveling at night on some of the most heavily used roads in the Midlands will be affected this week.

That’s because the South Carolina Department of Transportation will be closing lanes on sections of two of the busiest interstates in Columbia, the area also known as Malfunction Junction.

Portions of I-26 and I-126 will be affected as part of the SCDOT’s Interstate Pavement Preservation Project in Richland and Lexington counties.

The purpose of the project is to rehabilitate and maintain a safe pavement surface for commuters and the traveling public.

The project begins on I-126 from mile marker 0 (Huger Street and Elmwood Avenue) to mile marker 3.6 (I-26), according to SCDOT. The project also will impact I-26, from mile marker 100.8 (Saluda River) to mile marker 107.7 (Broad River Road).

Traffic will be staged utilizing temporary control devices to separate the work zone from interstate traffic.

Work began Sunday. SCDOT said it is estimated to be substantially completed by December 2018.

During the work, the surface of the eastbound and westbound lanes will be removed by milling and then they will be resurfaced with hot mix asphalt to improve ridability, according to SCDOT.

All travel lanes will remain open during daytime hours to minimize impacts to motorists, SCDOT said. Any ramp closures needed for construction will be performed at night, when the volume of traffic is reduced.

While this project falls in the I-26 and I-126 corridor, it does not indicate the start of the Carolina Crossroads project.

According to the SCDOT, the Carolina Crossroads project will provide a transportation solution to improve mobility and enhance traffic operations by reducing existing traffic congestion within the I-20/26/126 corridor, while accommodating future traffic needs – through 2040.

Construction on the Carolina Crossroads wouldn’t begin until 2019 at the earliest as many steps must be taken prior to that point.

This story was originally published March 18, 2018 at 8:58 PM with the headline "Nighttime lane closures to impact traffic on some of Midlands busiest roads."