South Carolina Highway 72

SC 72
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	124.8 mi[1] (200.8 km)
Existed:	1942 – present
Major junctions
West end:	SR 72 at the GA line near Calhoun Falls
	US 25 / US 178 / US 221 in Greenwood US 221 near Cross Hill US 76 in Clinton I‑26 in Clinton US 176 / SC 121 in Whitmire US 321 / SC 9 in Chester
East end:	SC 122 in Rock Hill
Location
Counties:	Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, Newberry, Union County, Chester, York
Highway system
South Carolina Highways Interstates U.S. State Scenic ← SC 71 I‑73 →

South Carolina Highway 72 (SC 72) is a 125-mile (201 km) state highway, traversing interior portions of the South Carolina Piedmont region. The route connects many smaller communities outside major metropolitan areas and is roughly parallel with Interstate 85 to the north and interstates 20 and 77 to the south and east. The route shares the longest concurrency in the state with SC 121, from Whitmire and Rock Hill.

Route description

Monument to the Battle of Fishdam Ford, located on the east bank of the Broad River

The route travels across the state in a southwest to northeast direction, and is sometimes referenced as an unofficial border between the Midlands and the Upstate regions. Beginning at the Georgia state line on a bridge over Lake Russell (where it is the continuation of SR 72) SC 72 goes through the town of Calhoun Falls and goes through rural areas of Abbeville County before skirting the county seat of Abbeville on a bypass route. The route serves as the major thoroughfare for traffic between Abbeville and Greenwood, where it bypasses the downtown area to the north.

Leaving Greenwood, the route heads towards Clinton where it intersects with Interstate 26. Passing the interstate, the route enters into the Sumter National Forest and passes through the small town of Whitmire. From Whitmire until just shy of its eastern terminus, SC 72 is cosigned with SC 121. The route exits the Sumter National Forest and bypasses Chester to the south. Once past Chester, the route turns more towards the north as it enters Rock Hill, where it terminates into SC 122 in the downtown area.

History

SC 72 had two previous stents in the state before settling in its current role. The first SC 72 was established in 1925 or 1926 as a new primary routing, from SC 7, at the Saluda River, north to SC 10, in Waterloo. In 1932, this routing became part of US 221.

The second SC 72 appeared in 1940 as a new primary routing, from SC 7, near the Broad River, to Leeds. In 1942, it was renumbered as SC 722; though was later downgraded, in 1948, to secondary "Leeds Road" (S-12-25).^[2]

The third, and current, SC 72 was established in 1942, as a renumbering of SC 7; it traversed from the Georgia state line, near Calhoun Falls, to US 21, in Chester. In 1950, it was extended northeast to US 21/SC 5, in Rock Hill; which replaced part of US 21. In 1951 or 1952, its routing was adjusted west of Greenwood, replacing SC 702 and leaving Old Abbeville Highway (S-1-3 and S-24-1).^[3][4][5][6]

In 1954, SC 72 was placed on bypass south and east around Chester; its old alignment became a business route.^[2][7] Also same year, SC 72 was moved south of Abbeville, leaving behind Vienna Street (S-1-1) and Cambridge Street/Old Abbeville Highway (S-1-133).^[3][4] In 1961, SC 72 was placed on new bypass north around Greenwood; its old alignment became a business route.^[6][8] Sometime between 1990-1996, SC 72 was placed on a bypass south and east around Clinton; its old alignment became a business route.^[9][10] In 2013, SC 72's eastern terminus was adjusted to end at the western terminus of SC 122 on Johnston Street; part of a major removal of highways through downtown Rock Hill.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Abbeville	State line	0.0	0.0	SR 72 west – Elberton	Crosses the Savannah River/Richard B. Russell Lake
	Calhoun Falls	3.2	5.1	SC 81 (Calhoun Street) – Mount Carmel, McCormick, Lowndesville
		14.4	23.2	SC 823 south (Mount Carmel Road) – Mount Carmel
		16.0	25.7	SC 28 – McCormick, Anderson
	Abbeville	18.0	29.0	SC 20 east (Main Street) – Due West, Anderson
Greenwood	Greenwood	27.8	44.7	SC 72 Bus. east (Cambridge Avenue) – Greenwood
		28.7	46.2	To SC 225 / Calhoun Road
		30.0	48.3	US 25 north / US 178 west / US 25 Bus. south / US 178 Bus. east – Greenwood, Anderson, Greenville	North end of US 25 and west end of US 178 overlap
		30.7	49.4	SC 254 (Cokesbury Road) – Cokesbury
		32.2	51.8	US 25 south / US 178 east / US 221 south / SC 72 Bus. west – Greenwood, Edgefield, McCormick	South end of US 25/US 221 and east end of US 178 overlap
	Coronaca	37.1	59.7	SC 246 – Hodges, Ninety Six
Laurens		40.5	65.2	US 221 north (Greenwood Highway) – Laurens	North end of US 221 overlap
	Cross Hill	44.6	71.8	SC 39 (Main Street) – Saluda, Laurens
	Clinton	56.4	90.8	SC 72 Bus. (Broad Street)
		56.7	91.2	SC 56 west / SC 56 Bus. east (Jacobs Highway) – Saluda	West end of SC 56 overlap
		58.1	93.5	US 76 (Carolina Avenue) – Newberry
		59.8	96.2	SC 56 east / SC 72 Bus. west – Cross Anchor	East end of SC 56 overlap
		61.0	98.2	I‑26 – Columbia, Spartanburg
Newberry	Whitmire	75.7	121.8	SC 66 west (Glenn Street) – Joanna
		76.0	122.3	US 176 east / SC 121 south (Watson Street) – Newberry, Columbia, Augusta	East end of US 176 and south end of SC 121
Union		77.6	124.9	US 176 north – Union	West end of US 176 overlap
	Carlisle	86.8	139.7	SC 215 north (King Kennedy Street) – Santuc, Union	North end of SC 215 overlap
Chester		90.7	146.0	SC 215 south (Fairfield Road) – Monticello, Columbia	South end of SC 215 overlap
	Chester	103.2	166.1	US 321 / SC 9 north / West End Street – Chester, Lockhart	North end of US 321/SC 9 overlap
		105.0	169.0	US 321 / SC 97 south / US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) – Winnsboro, Great Falls	South end of US 321/SC 97 overlap
		106.2	170.9	SC 9 south (Lancaster Highway) / SC 9 Bus. north – Lancaster	South end of SC 9 overlap
		107.2	172.5	SC 97 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass) – York, Hickory Grove	North end of SC 97 overlap
	Lewis	112.5	181.1	SC 909 east (Rodman Road)	East end of SC 909 overlap
		112.6	181.2	SC 909 west (Aaron Burr Road)	West end of SC 909 overlap
York		119.1	191.7	SC 324 west – York
	Rock Hill	123.2	198.3	SC 121 north (Albright Road) / SC 901 south (Mount Holly Road) – Charlotte, Edgemoor	North end of SC 121 and south end of SC 901 overlap
		123.2	198.3	SC 5 / SC 901 north (Heckle Boulevard) – Newport	North end of SC 901 overlap
		124.8	200.8	SC 122 east (Johnston Street) / Saluda Street
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Bannered routes

Greenwood business loop

SC 72 Business
Location:	Greenwood, South Carolina
Length:	4.2 mi[15] (6.8 km)
Existed:	1961–present

SC 72 Business was established in 1961 when mainline SC 72 was bypassed north of Greenwood. It follows the original mainline route through downtown Greenwood, via Cambridge Avenue, Grace Street and Reynolds Avenue.

Clinton business loop

SC 72 Business
Location:	Clinton, South Carolina
Length:	3.3 mi[16] (5.3 km)

SC 72 Business follows the original mainline route that use to traverse through downtown Clinton, via Broad Street and Willard Road. The route passes by the main entrance of Presbyterian College. It also shares a concurrency with SC 56 Bus. for the majority of the route.

Chester business loop

SC 72 Business
Location:	Chester, South Carolina
Length:	2.6 mi[17] (4.2 km)
Existed:	1954–N/A

SC 72 Business was established in 1954 when mainline SC 72 was bypassed to the south and east of Chester. It followed the original mainline route through downtown Chester, via West End Street, Main Street and Saluda Street/Road. In 1964, SC 121 Bus. was established and completely overlapped SC 72 Bus. It is unknown when the business loop was decommissioned.

Rock Hill business spur

SC 72 Business
Location:	Rock Hill, South Carolina
Length:	1.8 mi[18] (2.9 km)
Existed:	1950–N/A

SC 72 Business was established in 1950 as a business spur into downtown Rock Hill, via Saluda Street, from mainline SC 72, which continued east to terminate at US 21/SC5 (Anderson Road). Though never originally part of mainline SC 72, it was eventually replaced by the mainline at an unknown date.

References

External links

• Media related to South Carolina Highway 72 at Wikimedia Commons
• Mapmikey's South Carolina Highways Page: SC 70-79