Beginning at noon, a full four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston will begin 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.
This is the third year in a row S.C. highways will be reversed because of storm evacuations.
To help the massive migration, the S.C. Department of Public Safety and the S.C. Department of Transportation will “reverse the direction of traffic along certain evacuation routes to ease the flow of traffic away from the coast,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
For drivers heading from Charleston to Columbia, I-26 will have a full four-lane reversal. The SCDOT reported it will begin at the interchange of I-526 and I-26, with other entry points for those leaving Charleston.
“Once motorists get to Columbia area, we’re going to return the reverse traffic back to the normal configuration just before Interstate 77,” said Rob Perry, SCDOT director of traffic engineering.
When drivers reach that point, SCDOT reported that those in the normal westbound lanes will be sent to I-77, allowing reverse traffic in eastbound lanes to cross over and continue on I-26.
The reversal could create issues for drivers in Columbia looking to take their morning commute.
Setup for the reversal will begin at 5 a.m. and South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers will “flush” traffic at 8 a.m., according to Trooper Bob Beres.
I-26 will not be the only highway to have traffic reversed.
Lane reversals will occur on U.S. Route 501 in multiple spots on the highway which goes from Myrtle Beach to Virginia, according to the statement from the governor’s office. Additionally, Highways 278 and 21 in Beaufort will also reverse, if warranted.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster announced a mandatory evacuation of the South Carolina coast, set to begin at noon Tuesday, Sept. 10.
SCDOT has some advice for drivers who are being evacuated. Those motorists are urged to check that they have enough gas to make the drive and are being told not to stop unless it is an emergency.
For the drivers in the reversed lanes, it will be difficult to exit before the interchange since many of the ramps were not designed to accommodate traffic coming from the opposite direction, according to Capt. Kelly Hughes of the S.C. Highway Patrol.
This is not the first time McMaster has ordered an evacuation, that has included lane reversals. As Hurricane Irma approached South Carolina in 2017, McMaster made a similar decree The State reported.
His predecessor, Nikki Haley also ordered an evacuation of coastal counties in 2016, before Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina. That storm was 1,000 miles away when then Gov. Haley ordered reversed lanes on I-26 before Matthew caused destructive flooding.
Haley’s order for Hurricane Matthew was the first time lanes were reversed to carry more traffic since 1999, when then Gov. Jim Hodges made the decree after many traffic jams from those fleeing Hurricane Floyd, postandcourier.com reported.
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