I-26 lanes to close

​Today, South Carolina Department of Transportation Officials announced two sections of I-26 eastbound in Laurens and Newberry Counties will have continuous lane closures. These two sections of temporary, continuous lane closures are expected to be in place on April 15, 2024 and will remain in place while work is completed for approximately one month. Traffic flow will be reduced to one lane in the eastbound direction at mile marker 65 in Laurens County and mile marker 83 in Newberry County during the closure.

Chief Operating Officer Justin P. Powell said, “We recognize that any lane closure on our interstate system is going to cause some travel delays – that is why we have incentivized the contractor to get the work done early and we will assess heavy penalties for every day the project is behind. We appreciate the patience of drivers as we get this critical work done – at the end of the day, we’re making the system stronger and more efficient for the future.”

The lane closures will allow the contractor to work on two bridges that are being rehabilitated as a part of this project located at mile marker 65 (Indian Creek) and mile marker 83 (Palmetto Trail). A similar closure for the westbound director of I-26 is anticipated in 2025.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation is working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure additional coverage of the corridor during the closure – that includes making sure emergency vehicles have access to the road shoulder and enhancing incident response with SCDOT’s State Highway Emergency Program (SHEP) responders in key areas.

We urge drivers to plan in advance and to expect delays – alternate routes are available, and all oversize and overweight vehicles will be required to detour. The details of that detour are included with the map below. Drivers should slow down and look for signs with important information. Real-time traffic and road closure information is always available at 511sc.org and on the SCDOT 511 mobile app.