CHAPIN, S.C. — In the fall of 2016, the South Carolina Department of Transportation announced its plans to widen I-26 from mile-marker 85 to mile marker 101.
Along with this huge project are many smaller projects such as overpass bridge replacements and improved interchanges and exit ramps.
Exit 91 in Chapin onto Columbia Ave. is one of the exits getting a facelift.
SCDOT’S Brad Reynolds told Street Squad that the changes are still being designed and with it being a “Design-Build job” it means the design team can present alternative designs throughout the process to SCDOT.
“The contractor is Archer Western United and they proposed a new interchange that is off alignment," Reynolds explains, "its shifted towards Spartanburg from where the existing interchange is. Its providing the same purpose and need that we were getting before- however its providing us some other additional items such as a reduced right-of-way acquisition impacts, and its making the area right where the interchange is a much safer location because it doesn’t have driveways and things like that right up close to the interchange.”
With this new design- construction won’t disrupt traffic, “its going to be built completely away from the existing roadways so the interchange that’s there now will be able to maintain its current traffic patters, they won’t have construction vehicles or construction cones and things like that.”
This new design was presented to the town of Chapin and initial analysis has been done- but it still needs to go through a long process before it is approved for construction in 2021.
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