What SC drivers need to know about what’s being done to Midlands roads, highways

South Carolina lawmakers, engineers and transportation officials are advancing a wave of projects aimed at easing congestion across the Midlands. From new interstate exits to toll lanes and billion-dollar county plans, here’s how the area’s roadways are shifting.

Here are key takeaways:

• Rep. Paula Calhoon has proposed $1 million in the 2026-27 state budget to fund a new Interstate 20 interchange at Calks Ferry Road in Lexington County, which could reroute up to 40% of traffic away from the congested Longs Pond Road exit.
• Drivers stuck in Malfunction Junction traffic could save an estimated 112 hours annually once the Carolina Crossroads project is complete, with phase 3C construction beginning this year and wrapping up in 2029.
• South Carolina’s busiest highways could soon get optional toll lanes letting drivers pay to bypass congestion, after the state House unanimously passed a 114-0 infrastructure bill — though existing highways and lanes will remain free.
• The new transportation legislation also requires SCDOT to fill reported potholes within seven days and allows the agency to partner with private entities on infrastructure projects.
• SCDOT has opened a public comment period through June 11 on a 2027 program to pave 734 additional miles of non-interstate roads, including 48 miles of preventive maintenance on major routes, secondary roads and neighborhood streets.
• Irmo drivers should expect roadwork at the I-26 and Broad River Road interchange starting in 2027, with roadside trees likely to be removed and the town responsible for replacing landscaping.
• The Broad River Road work is part of the broader Carolina Crossroads project, which DOT expects to complete by 2034 and will widen I-26 while improving connections at Lake Murray Boulevard, Harbison Boulevard, Piney Grove Road and St. Andrews Road.
• Lexington County engineers have proposed three road improvement plans ranging from $800 million to $3.2 billion to ease congestion by 2050, with the most expensive option including 20 road widenings and 160 intersection improvements.
• Funding for Lexington’s road plans depends on voter approval of a penny sales tax on the November 2027 ballot, which voters rejected in both 2014 and 2022.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.