U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is an eastâ€"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, USÂ 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. USÂ 278 shares the route between Ridgeland and Hardeeville with USÂ 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, USÂ 278 ends at USÂ 278 Business on the southern portion of Hilton Head Island, just outside Sea Pines Plantation.
Cross Island Parkway
On Hilton Head Island, USÂ 278 was previously routed along what is now USÂ 278 Business until a new toll road, named the Cross Island Parkway opened on January 16, 1998. The 6.8-mile (10.9Â km) section of roadway cost $83 million to build and was funded with a combination of state funds, federal funds, state highway bonds and tolls.
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. 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.
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 (19Â km) route of what was then signed as USÂ 278 (William Hilton Parkway) during peak tourism season. The Cross Island Parkway greatly relieved congestion on that road when it opened.
Tolls
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.
Only the Palmetto Pass is accepted on the Cross Island Parkway.
History
USÂ 278 was established, in South Carolina, in 1965, traveling from Augusta, Georgia to Hilton Head Island. Crossing the Savannah River, in concurrency with USÂ 1/USÂ 25/USÂ 78/SCÂ 121, it then overlapped with SCÂ 125 on Atomic Road, to Beech Island. Replacing SCÂ 28 from Beech Island to Almeda, where it then replaced SCÂ 128, going through Ridgeland, to Old House. Replacing part of SCÂ 462, it went south into Bluffton and then east into Hilton Head Island, replacing part of SCÂ 46.
Throughout the 1980s, USÂ 278 was widen to four-lane, in phases, east of SCÂ 170, in Bluffton. In 1996-1997, USÂ 278 was rerouted south of Ridgeland to Hardeeville, then east on new primary routing to SCÂ 170, in Bluffton. Its former routing was replaced by SCÂ 336 to Old House and SCÂ 462 to SCÂ 170. In 1998, USÂ 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 USÂ 278 Business.
Junction list
See also
- South Carolina portal
- U.S. Roads portal
- Special routes of U.S. Route 278
- Central Savannah River Area
References
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)
