U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina

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.

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 278.

U.S. Route 278
Route of US 278 in South Carolina highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of US 78
Maintained by SCDOT
Length	146.0 mi[1] (235.0 km)
Existed	1965–present
Tourist routes	Hilton Head Scenic Byway
Major junctions
West end	US 1 / US 25 / US 78 / US 278 at the Georgia 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 Highway System List Special Divided South Carolina State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SC 277 SC 281 →

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

Not to be confused with Cross Island Parkway in New York.

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	North Augusta	0.0	0.0	US 1 south / US 25 south / US 78 west / US 278 west / SR 10 west / SR 121 south – Augusta	Continuation from Georgia over the Savannah River
		0.2	0.32	5th Street Bridge / River North Drive
		0.7	1.1	US 25 / SC 121 north – North Augusta, Edgefield	Eastern end of US 25 and SC 121 concurrencies
		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 (Jefferson Davis Highway) / SC 421 begins (Augusta Road) – Aiken, North Augusta, Clearwater	Eastern end of US 1 and US 78 concurrencies; western end of SC 125 concurrency; southern terminus of SC 421
	Beech Island	7.2	11.6	SC 28 west (Sand Bar Ferry Road) / SC 125 south (Atomic Road) – Savannah River Site, Augusta	Eastern end of SC 125 concurency
	​	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	Western terminus of SC 781
Barnwell	​	32.7	52.6	SC 39 – Williston
	​	41.0	66.0	SC 37 north – Elko, Williston	Southern terminus of SC 37
	Barnwell	43.3	69.7	SC 64 west (Dunbarton Boulevard) – Savannah River Site	Western end of SC 64 concurrency
		43.6	70.2	SC 70 east (Allen Street) / Dunbarton Boulevard – Denmark	Western terminus of SC 70
		43.9	70.7	SC 64 east (Hagood Avenue) – Walterboro	Eastern end of SC 64 concurrency
		45.2	72.7	SC 3 north (Marlboro Avenue) – Columbia	Western end of SC 3 concurrency
	​	46.5	74.8	SC 3 south – Sylvania	Eastern end of SC 3 concurrency
	​	46.8	75.3	SC 300 south – Ulmer	Northern terminus of SC 300
Allendale	Allendale	60.4	97.2	US 301 north (Burton's Ferry Highway) – Walterboro	Western end of US 301 concurrency; to USC Salkehatchie
		60.7	97.7	US 301 south (Main Street) / SC 125 north (Railroad Avenue) – Savannah River Site, Augusta, Sylvania	Eastern end of US 301 concurrency
	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	Western end of SC 363 concurrency
		75.3	121.2	US 601 north (Hoover Street) – Orangeburg	Western end of US 601 concurrency
		75.9	122.1	US 601 south (First Street) – Estill, Savannah	Eastern end of US 601 concurrency
		76.1	122.5	SC 363 east (Third Street) – Walterboro, Charleston	Eastern end of SC 363 concurrency
	Varnville	77.9	125.4	SC 63 east (Main Street) – Walterboro	Western terminus of SC 63
	Almeda	80.1	128.9	SC 68 east (Yemassee Highway) – Yemassee	Western terminus of SC 68
Jasper	Grays	91.6	147.4	SC 3 north (Heritage Road) – Early Branch	Southern terminus of SC 3
	Gillisonville	96.5	155.3	SC 462 west (Gillison Branch Road) – Pineland	Western end of SC 462 concurrency
	​	97.3	156.6	SC 462 east (Morgandollar Road) – Coosawhatchie	Eastern end of SC 462 concurrency
	​	102.1	164.3	SC 652 west (Calf Pen Bay Road) – Pineland	Eastern terminus of SC 652
	Ridgeland	106.4	171.2	US 17 north (Jacob Smart Boulevard) – Charleston	Western end of US 17 concurrency
		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	Eastern end of US 17 concurrency
		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	Buckwalter Parkway
		133.2	214.4	SC 46 west (Bluffton Road) – Bluffton	Eastern terminus of SC 46
	Bluffton	137.7	221.6	Bluffton Parkway	No direct access from US 278 eastbound to Bluffton Parkway or Bluffton Parkway to US 278 westbound
	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	Eastbound exit toll
		143.6	231.1	Toll plaza
		146.0	235.0	US 278 Bus. west (William Hilton Parkway) / Greenwood Drive / Pope Avenue	Eastern terminus; Roundabout; to Coligny Beach
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

See also

•  United States portal
•  U.S. Roads portal
• Special routes of U.S. Route 278

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 17, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
3. "27-in-7 Peak Performance" (PDF). South Carolina Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 17, 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.

External links

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 278 in South Carolina

KML is not from Wikidata

• 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)

U.S. Route 278
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