South Carolina project plans to fix I-95 constant bottleneck traffic at Georgia border

A 2021 South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) report stated that in 2019, around 64,000 vehicles a day traveled through I-95 causing bottleneck traffic for drivers crossing the Savannah River from Georgia into South Carolina.

The stretch of road leading from the has long been a headache for drivers. Thanks to an improvement project that plans to address the congested area, relief may be on the way.

The I-95 improvements aim to improve mobility, capacity, and operations along the 10-mile corridor of I-95 from mile-marker one through mile-marker nine just north of US Highway 278. The project will make improvements to 14 bridges and two existing interchanges.

According to SCDOT, South Carolina is the nation’s 4^th largest state highway system and has the 3^rd fastest growing population in the nation. This improvement to a highly congested interstate is long overdue, City of Hardeeville Mayor Harry Williams said.

“The widening of I-95 and the new Exit 3 will have a significant economic impact on our city," Williams said. "Standstills are an almost daily occurrence now and that diverts traffic and clogs up our local roads as GPS users look for alternatives. Our local businesses suffer as a result.”

To aid the project, the Town of Hardeeville is planning a new interchange at Purrysburg Road, which will support local commercial, industrial, distribution, and residential developments.

“Exit 3 will give new access to our industrial zone in the south end of our city, bringing new commerce around the exit and making the rest of the district more marketable. This means new and better-paying jobs for the residents of the entire region,” added Williams.

SCDOT is anticipating traffic on the particular portion of I-95 will be intensified over the next couple of decades and by 2050, this stretch of I-95 will experience heavy traffic congestion.

"The timeline for construction is still being determined. During construction, two lanes will be maintained in each direction and there are no planned lane closures during typical daytime commutes," said SCDOT Public Information Officer Hannah Robinson. "There will be some closures of interchange ramps for short durations to make improvements to the ramps."

The improvements will work on correcting the inadequacies of interchanges and bridges within the corridor.

The constant bottleneck traffic has long been a sore spot for drivers. In 2022, when both the University of South Carolina and Clemson University football teams had bowl games in Florida, fans were frustrated with the slow movement of traffic on I-95 to the point that Gamecocks football head coach Shane Beamer remarked about the traffic on X, formerly Twitter.