U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina

U.S. Route 278
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	146.0 mi[1] (235.0 km)
Existed:	1965 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 1 / US 25 / US 78 / US 278 / SR 10 / SR 121 at the GA state line near North Augusta
	I-520 in North Augusta US 301 in Allendale US 321 in Fairfax US 601 in Hampton US 17 in Ridgeland I-95 in Hardeeville
East end:	US 278 Bus. in Hilton Head
Location
Counties:	Aiken, Barnwell, Allendale, Hampton, Jasper, Beaufort
Highway system
United States Numbered Highways List Bannered Divided Replaced South Carolina Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SC 277 SC 281 →

U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is an east–west United States highway that traverses through the South Carolina Lowcountry, from North Augusta to Hilton Head Island.

Route description

After crossing the Savannah River from Georgia, US 278 bypasses downtown North Augusta, South Carolina to the south en route to Beech Island and Johnson Crossroads. It then forms a de facto northern boundary of the Savannah River Site, crossing into the property on a few occasions. The route then continues eastward and then southward through the communities of Barnwell, Kline, Allendale, Fairfax, Hampton, Varnville, Ridgeland, and Hardeeville where it meets I-95. US 278 shares the route between Ridgeland and Hardeeville with US 17.

Upon reaching Hardeeville, the route heads eastward toward the Atlantic with large residential and commercial developments lining the spine of the road from Hardeeville through Okatie and Bluffton. The route crosses over Calibogue Sound onto Hilton Head Island. After a five-mile stretch in which the route is tolled, US 278 ends at US 278 Business on the southern portion of Hilton Head Island, just outside Sea Pines Plantation.

Cross Island Parkway

On Hilton Head Island, US 278 was previously routed along what is now US 278 Business until a new toll road, named the Cross Island Parkway opened on January 16, 1998.^[2] The 6.8-mile (10.9 km) section of roadway^[2] cost $83 million to build and was funded with a combination of state funds, federal funds, state highway bonds and tolls.^[3]

The controlled access toll road has only one interchange along its route at Marshland Drive. It was the first toll road built in South Carolina in modern history.^[2] A majority of the road users pay their tolls using Palmetto Pass, South Carolina's system for electronic toll collection. Tolls will be removed once the bonds sold to build the road are retired.^[3]

The completion of the Cross Island Parkway (a direct expressway connection from the north side to the south side of the island), has caused a great amount of commercial and residential development along the road. Before the toll road opened, it could take one hour to travel the 12-mile (19 km) route of what was then signed as US 278 (William Hilton Parkway) during peak tourism season.^[2] The Cross Island Parkway greatly relieved congestion on that road when it opened.^[3]

Tolls

Cross Island Parkway Toll Plaza

Toll rates, for 2-axle vehicles, along Cross Island Parkway are $1.25 at the toll plaza and $1.00 at the Marshland Road/Spanish Wells Road interchange. Each additional axle is $1.00 (plaza and ramps). The toll plaza has both electronic toll collection (ETC) and cash lanes, which are manned 24-hours a day; Marshland Road/Spanish Wells Road interchange accept only ETC or exact change only. Those that do not have exact change or do not pay the toll have five days to contact the Cross Island Parkway Customer Service Center to make a payment; after that time, a violation notice will be mailed. Travelers that make a mistake of taking the toll road may request a "Turn Around Pass;" which gives them ten minutes to continue along the highway, turn-around at the roundabout and return the pass at the toll plaza on the return trip.^[4]

Only the Palmetto Pass is accepted on the Cross Island Parkway.

History

US 278 was established, in South Carolina, in 1965, traveling from Augusta, Georgia to Hilton Head Island. Crossing the Savannah River, in concurrency with US 1/US 25/US 78/SC 121, it then overlapped with SC 125 on Atomic Road, to Beech Island. Replacing SC 28 from Beech Island to Almeda, where it then replaced SC 128, going through Ridgeland, to Old House. Replacing part of SC 462, it went south into Bluffton and then east into Hilton Head Island, replacing part of SC 46.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Throughout the 1980s, US 278 was widen to four-lane, in phases, east of SC 170, in Bluffton. In 1996-1997, US 278 was rerouted south of Ridgeland to Hardeeville, then east on new primary routing to SC 170, in Bluffton. Its former routing was replaced by SC 336 to Old House and SC 462 to SC 170.^[17][18] In 1998, US 278 was rerouted onto new routing along the west side of Hilton Head Island; known as the Cross Island Parkway, the toll road provides quicker access to the far south end of the island. The old alignment, in Hilton Head Island, became US 278 Business.^[19][20]

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Aiken	State line	0.0	0.0	US 1 south / US 25 south / US 78 west / US 278 west / SR 10 west / SR 121 south – Augusta	Crosses the Savannah River; continuation into Georgia
	North Augusta	0.2	0.3	5th Street Bridge / River North Drive
		0.7	1.1	US 25 / SC 121 north – North Augusta, Edgefield	North end of US 25 and SC 121 overlap
		1.5	2.4	I-520 (Palmetto Parkway) – Augusta, Columbia, Atlanta	I-520 exit 17.
	Clearwater	2.3	3.7	US 1 / US 78 / SC 125 north – Aiken, North Augusta SC 421 north (Augusta Road) – Clearwater	East end of US 1/US 78 and north end of SC 125 overlap
	Beech Island	7.2	11.6	SC 28 west (Sand Bar Ferry Road) / SC 125 south (Atomic Road) – Savannah River Site, Augusta	South end of SC 125 overlap
		13.4	21.6	SC 302 (Silver Bluff Road) – Jackson, Aiken
	New Ellenton	19.6	31.5	SC 19 – New Ellenton, Aiken, Savannah River Site
		28.9	46.5	SC 781 east – Williston, Charleston
Barnwell		32.7	52.6	SC 39 – Williston
		41.0	66.0	SC 37 north – Elko, Williston
	Barnwell	43.3	69.7	SC 64 west (Dunbarton Boulevard) – Savannah River Site	West end of SC 64 overlap
		43.6	70.2	SC 70 east (Allen Street) / Dunbarton Boulevard – Denmark
		43.9	70.7	SC 64 east (Hagood Avenue) – Walterboro	East end of SC 64 overlap
		45.2	72.7	SC 3 north (Marlboro Avenue) – Columbia	North end of SC 3 overlap
		46.5	74.8	SC 3 south – Sylvania	South end of SC 3 overlap
		46.8	75.3	SC 300 south – Ulmer
Allendale	Allendale	60.4	97.2	US 301 north (Burton's Ferry Highway) – Walterboro	North end US 301 overlap; to USC Salkehatchie
		60.7	97.7	US 301 south (Main Street) / SC 125 north (Railroad Avenue) – Savannah River Site, Augusta, Sylvania	South end US 301 overlap
	Fairfax	66.2	106.5	US 321 (Hampton Avenue) – Estill, Savannah, Orangeburg, Columbia	To USC Salkehatchie
Hampton	Hampton	75.1	120.9	SC 363 west (Shaw Drive) – Lake Warren State Park	West end SC 363 overlap
		75.3	121.2	US 601 north (Hoover Street) – Orangeburg	North end US 601 overlap
		75.9	122.1	US 601 south (First Street) – Estill, Savannah	South end US 601 overlap
		76.1	122.5	SC 363 east (Third Street) – Walterboro, Charleston	East end SC 363 overlap
	Varnville	77.9	125.4	SC 63 east (Main Street) – Walterboro
	Almeda	80.1	128.9	SC 68 east (Yemassee Highway) – Yemassee
Jasper	Grays	91.6	147.4	SC 3 north (Heritage Road) – Early Branch
	Gillisonville	96.5	155.3	SC 462 west (Gillison Branch Road) – Pineland	West end SC 462 overlap
		97.3	156.6	SC 462 east (Morgandollar Road) – Coosawhatchie	East end SC 462 overlap
		102.1	164.3	SC 652 west (Calf Pen Bay Road) – Pineland
	Ridgeland	106.4	171.2	US 17 north (Jacob Smart Boulevard) – Charleston	North end US 17 overlap
		106.6	171.6	SC 336 (Main Street) – Tillman, Beaufort, Hilton Head Island
		108.9	175.3	To I-95 – Savannah, Florence
	Hardeeville	119.2	191.8	US 17 south (Whyte Hardee Boulevard) – Hardeeville	South end US 17 overlap
		119.5	192.3	I-95 – Savannah, Florence	I-95 exit 8.
		124.5	200.4	Argent Boulevard – Beaufort
Beaufort		127.4	205.0	SC 170 (Okatie Highway) – Savannah, Beaufort	To Parris Island
	Bluffton	129.1	207.8	Buckwater Parkway
		133.2	214.4	SC 46 west (Bluffton Road) – Bluffton
				Bluffton Parkway	Future interchange (funded)[21]
	Hilton Head Island	140.8	226.6	US 278 Bus. east (William Hilton Parkway)	To Hilton Head Airport
		143.1	230.3	Marshland Road / Spanish Wells Road
		143.6	231.1	Toll plaza
		146.0	235.0	US 278 Bus. west (William Hilton Parkway) / Greenwood Drive / Pope Avenue	Roundabout; to Coligny Beach
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Tolled       Unopened

See also

• South Carolina portal
• U.S. Roads portal
• Bannered routes of U.S. Route 278
• Central Savannah River Area

References

1. Google (April 12, 2014). "U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
2. Associated Press (January 16, 1998). "Hilton Head toll road to open". The Augusta Chronicle (Morris Communications). Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
3. "27-in-7 Peak Performance". South Carolina Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 16, 2013.
4. "Cross Island Parkway FAQ's". South Carolina Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
5. General Highway Map, Aiken County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1956. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
6. General Highway Map, Aiken County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1967. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
7. General Highway Map, Barnwell County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1962. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
8. General Highway Map, Barnwell County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1967. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
9. General Highway Map, Allendale County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1962. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
10. General Highway Map, Allendale County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1967. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
11. General Highway Map, Hampton County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1963. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
12. General Highway Map, Hampton County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1967. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
13. General Highway Map, Jasper County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1959. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
14. General Highway Map, Jasper County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1966. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
15. General Highway Map, Beaufort County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1963. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
16. General Highway Map, Beaufort County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1966. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
17. General Highway System, Jasper County (PDF) (Map). South Carolina Department of Transportation. June 2005. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
18. General Highway System, Beaufort County (PDF) (Map). South Carolina Department of Transportation. January 2005. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
19. "Report of the Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering to the Standing Committee on Highways" (PDF). AASHTO. November 6, 1998. p. 11. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
20. Hilton Head Island Urban Area, Beaufort County (PDF) (Map). South Carolina Department of Transportation. December 2011. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
21. Thompson, Scott (December 25, 2013). "Costs for Bluffton Parkway flyover increase; S.C. 170 widening project delayed". Bluffton, SC: Bluffton Today. Retrieved April 12, 2014.

External links

• Media related to U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
• U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina (Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page)