Interstate 95

Interstate 95 travels through eastern South Carolina's Low Country between the Savannah River and the North Carolina state line near Dillon. The majority of traffic along the 198.76 mile long freeway just passes through the Palmetto State between Florida and the Northeastern United States. Additionally I-95 generally stays in rural areas, though it bypasses the outskirts of Florence to the north and west.

Interstate 95 South Carolina Guides

Overall Interstate 95 carries just four lanes of travel in South Carolina with the exception of a 10 mile long six lane section at Florence. The widened portion was completed in April 2004 after two years of work for $68 million. Expansion was fueled by an increase in traffic due to area growth and tourist traffic headed to Myrtle Beach.¹

As part of a pilot program offered by the Federal Government in 2012, North Carolina and Virginia joined Missouri to fill three available slots to toll existing free Interstate highways. The Virginia and North Carolina plans involved the implementation of tolls along Interstate 95 south of Fredericksburg and state wide in the Tar Heel State. The North Carolina plan would help fund $4 billion in road improvements along their 182 mile stretch of I-95, including expansion of 50 miles of freeway to eight lanes. The Virginia tolling was expected to generate $50 million a year to help pay for widening, safety improvements and repairs. Because the freeway in the Palmetto State favors out of state traffic, South Carolina officials also suggested tolling Interstate 95 to help pay for both the modernization and expansion of the original freeway.² With tolls never implemented in the neighboring states, the idea never gained traction in South Carolina.

Finished in October 2018, safety improvement work along 33 miles of Interstate 95 in Jasper County cleared trees, flattened some slopes and added cable barriers or guard rails. Budgeted for $9.8 million, tree clearing removed all vegetation within medians less than 160 feet in width. Wider medians were cut back to provide at least a 55 foot wide clear zone on either side. Also providing a 55 foot clear zone, trees were cut back adjacent to the outside shoulders. The vegetation removal is designed to reduce tree related crashes.⁷

A 60 mile section of Interstate 95, from Sardinia to Exit 193 / S.C. 9-57 outside Dillon, opened to traffic on January 21, 1969.⁸ Representing the halfway mark of the overall completion of Interstate 95 in South Carolina, 17 miles of the highway opened to traffic on November 22, 1971 between Santee and Manning.⁹

A $2.284 million contract was awarded by the South Carolina State Highway Department by September 12, 1970 for paving the 5.1 mile segment of I-95 north from S.C. 9/57 near Dillon to U.S. 301/501 at the North Carolina state line. An agreement was also ratified with the North Carolina Highway Commission in July 1970 to have South Carolina build the short section through the exchange with U.S. 301/501. This project included preparation work for a tourist information center along I-95 south near the Little Pee Dee River.¹⁰

Interstate 95 between Dillon and the North Carolina border opened at noon on October 15, 1971.¹¹

scenes

The northbound entrance ramp to I-95 from U.S. 17 at Hardeeville connects with the east side Frontage Road (Road 421). 05/29/07

Road 421 runs alongside I-95 north 0.70 miles to S.C. 46 (Main Street) east of the Hardeeville city center. 05/29/07

The trumpet interchange at Exit 18 ties into Bees Creek Road (Road 13) northeast to Grahamville and northwest to parallel U.S. 17/278. 09/16/21

Road 13 spans I-95 ahead of the southbound entrance ramp for Savannah, Georgia. U.S. 17/278 lie 0.22 miles ahead. 09/16/21

Southward view from within the interchange between I-95 and U.S. 17 at Exit 33. The southbound loop ramp includes a fork to old U.S. 17 (Frontage Road) leading southwest alongside the freeway to Ridgeland (Exit 22). 01/18/04

Looking north from the trumpet interchange where U.S. 17 south merges onto Interstate 95 south near Pocotaligo. I-95 curves northward by the railroad siding of Kress to enter Hampton County. 01/18/04

S.C. 68 (Yemassee Highway) east at Interstate 95 in the town of Yemassee. 12/21/18

S.C. 68 (Yemassee Highway) runs alongside a CSX Railroad line through the folded diamond interchange (Exit 38) with Interstate 95. 12/21/18

S.C. 261 (Paxville Highway) heads west from the town of Manning along a commercial strip to a diamond interchange (Exit 119) with Interstate 95. 12/13/17

S.C. 261 (Paxville Highway) connects Interstate 95 with Downtown Manning in two miles along Boyce Street. Kingstree lies 24 miles further along S.C. 261 and U.S. 52. 12/13/17

The exchange joining S.C. 327 (Williston Road) north and Interstate 95 formerly was a parclo A2 interchange with a loop ramp toward Fayetteville, North Carolina. Modifications to the exit converted it to a parclo interchange with a new right side ramp to I-95 north. 04/21/01

Photo Credits:

• 04/21/01 by AARoads.
• 01/18/04 by AARoads and Carter Buchanan.
• 05/29/07 by AARoads.
• 12/13/17 by AARoads.
• 12/21/18 by AARoads.
• 09/16/21 by AARoads.

Connect with:
Interstate 20
Interstate 26
U.S. 15
U.S. 17
U.S. 76
U.S. 78
U.S. 176
U.S. 176
U.S. 278
U.S. 301
U.S. 378
Highway 9
Highway 34
Highway 64

Page Updated 12-07-2022.