South Carolina Highway 121

South Carolina Highway 121 marker

South Carolina Highway 121
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length: 134.1 mi[1] (215.8 km)
Existed: 1964 – present
Major junctions
South end: US 1 / US 25 / US 78 / US 278 / SR 10 / SR 121 at the GA state line near North Augusta
  I-20 in North Augusta
US 178 / SC 39 in Saluda
US 378 in Saluda
US 76 in Newberry
I-26 in Newberry
US 176 near Whitmire
US 321 / SC 9 in Chester
North end: US 21 / SC 322 in Rock Hill
Location
Counties: Aiken, Edgefield, Saluda, Newberry, Union, Chester, York
Highway system
← SC 120SC 122 →

South Carolina Highway 121 (SC 121) is a major state highway that runs north and south in the western part of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The road is actually part of a long multi-state route that also goes through Florida and Georgia. Some see it as a de facto auxiliary route from U.S. Route 21 in Rock Hill. Efforts to have the road upgraded to such status have failed however.

Route description

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

South Carolina Highway 121 continues its concurrency with U.S. Route 25 from Augusta, Georgia into North Augusta, South Carolina. In the Schultz Hill section of North Augusta, US 25/SC 121 leaves the concurrency with US 1 and US 78, and heads north. Still within North Augusta, it has an interchange with Interstate 520 at Exit 22 and Interstate 20 in South Carolina(at Exit 5).

In Trenton, US 25 turns left onto SC 19 and SC 121 becomes an independent route for the first time. From there it runs mainly through rural western South Carolina. Johnston is where the route serves as the northern terminus of SC 191, and later crosses SC 23.

In Saluda, SC 121 is overlapped by U.S. Route 178/SC 39, then intersects U.S. Route 378. The overlap with US 178/SC 39 ends at Travis Road. Later it crosses a bridge over the Saluda River and is then overlapped with SC 34 until it reaches Newberry. Barely inside Newberry, the route becomes the terminus of SC 395 and then has a major intersection with U.S. Route 76. Further north it encounters a quarter-cloverleaf interchanges with Interstate 26(at Exit 72).

North of Newberry, it encounters yet another concurrency with U.S. Route 176, which it follows straight north before curving to the west as it enters Whitmire, where the routes make a sharp turn to the east and encounters the beginning of a long concurrency with SC 72. After a bridge over the Enoree River, the concurrency with US 176 ends just east of Whitmire.

SC 121/72 runs through Carlisle where it has another concurrency with SC 215, which ends east of the bridge over the Broad River, which contains a monument to an American Revolutionary battle known as the Battle of Fishdam Ford.

In Chester SC 121/72 has another concurrency, this time with U.S. Route 321/SC 9. This concurrency runs southeast until US 321 branches off to the south at the southern terminus of US BUS 321. The routes continue to the east along SC 97, running beneath a railroad bridge, and then turning toward the north. SC 9 makes a right turn at Lancaster Avenue, which is the eastern terminus of SC BUS 9. SC 121/72/97 has an at-grade crossing with another railroad line leading to the city, and then SC 121/72 branches off to the right at Saluda Road (SC BUS 72), while SC 97 continues north.

The concurrency with SC 72 finally ends at SC 901 in Rock Hill. Within the city, it joins briefly with SC 5, before merging with its final concurrency, U.S. Route 21. Traversing east of the downtown area, its journey ends at Cherry Road, where US 21 continues north towards Fort Mill, while also connecting with SC 322.

History

SC 121 had two previous stents in the state before settling in its current role. The first SC 121 was established in 1925 or 1926 as a new primary routing; it traveresed from SC 27, in Aiken, northeast through Wagener and Pelion, to SC 2/SC 12, in Springdale. In 1928, it was renumbered as SC 215.

The second SC 121 was established in 1929 or 1930 as new primary routing; it traversed from US 21, in Branchville, east through Bowman, to SC 31, in Providence. In 1937 or 1938, SC 121 was extended along US 78 before branching off to end at SC 65; its eastern terminus was also extended to US 15. In 1940, SC 121 was extended southwest to SC 362, and east to SC 6, in Vance. In 1948, SC 121 was truncated on both ends, from US 21 to US 15; its routing to SC 61 became Farrell's Road (S-5-18). By 1952, it was extended east to SC 310, in Vance. In 1953, it was extended completely back to SC 6. In 1962-1964, the entire route was renumbered as SC 210.[2][3]

The third, and current, SC 121 was established in 1962-1964, which formed a three-state route (continues south as Georgia State Route 121 and Florida State Road 121 to Lebanon Station, Florida). From North Augusta to Rock Hill, it was placed on concurrencies with various highways throughout the state; with exception around Whitmire, where it replaced part of SC 19. Its routing has remained unchanged since inception.[4][5][6][7]

Junction list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
AikenNorth Augusta0.00.0 US 1 south / US 25 south / US 78 west / US 278 west / SR 10 west / SR 121 south – AugustaContinuation beyond Georgia state line over the Savannah River
0.20.325th Street Bridge / River North Drive
0.71.1 US 1 north / US 78 east / US 278 east – AikenNorth end of US 1 and east end of US 78/US 278 overlap
1.62.6 SC 125 / SC 230 (Atomic Road) – North Augusta, Savannah River SiteSouth end of SC 230 overlap
2.13.4 SC 230 north (Martintown Road) – Lake ThurmondNorth end of SC 230 overlap
3.86.1
US 25 Bus. south (Georgia Avenue) – Augusta
4.87.7 SC 126 east (Belvedere Clearwater Road) – Clearwater
6.410.3 To I-520I-520 exit 22.
7.211.6 I-20 – Columbia, AtlantaI-20 exit 5.
EdgefieldTrenton20.533.0 US 25 north / SC 19 south – Edgefield, AikenNorth end of US 25 overlap
​27.143.6 SC 191 south – Aiken
Johnston28.445.7 SC 23 – Edgefield, Ridge Spring
Saluda​36.458.6 SC 193 south – Ward
Saluda40.965.8 US 178 east / SC 39 south (Batesburg Highway) – Batesburg-Leesville, Ridge SpringEast end of US 178 and south end of SC 39 overlap
41.266.3 US 378 (Church Street) – Lexington, McCormick
41.566.8 US 178 west / SC 39 north (Greenwood Highway) – Greenwood, ChappellsWest end of US 178 and north end of SC 39 overlap
NewberrySilverstreet56.791.2 SC 34 west – Silverstreet, GreenwoodWest end of SC 34 overlap; to Ninety Six National Historic Site
Newberry61.398.7 SC 34 east (Boundary Street) – NewberryEast end of SC 34 overlap
64.1103.2 SC 395 south (Nance Street) – Newberry
65.7105.7 US 76 – Prosperity, Clinton
​67.5108.6 I-26 – Columbia, SpartanburgI-26 exit 72.
​73.4118.1 US 176 east – PomariaEast end of US 176 overlap
Whitmire81.0130.4 SC 72 west (Union Street) to SC 66 – Whitmire, ClintonWest end of SC 72 overlap
Union​82.4132.6 US 176 north – UnionWest end of US 176 overlap
Carlisle91.6147.4 SC 215 north (King Kennedy Street) – Santuc, UnionNorth end of SC 215 overlap
Chester​95.5153.7 SC 215 south (Fairfield Road) – Monticello, ColumbiaSouth end of SC 215 overlap
Chester107.9173.6 US 321 / SC 9 north / West End Street – Chester, LockhartNorth end of US 321/SC 9 overlap
109.7176.5
US 321 / SC 97 south / US 321 Bus. north (Columbia Road) – Winnsboro, Great Falls		South end of US 321/SC 97 overlap
110.9178.5
SC 9 south (Lancaster Highway) / SC 9 Bus. north – Lancaster		South end of SC 9 overlap
111.9180.1 SC 97 north (J.A. Cochran Bypass) – York, Hickory GroveNorth end of SC 97 overlap
Lewis117.2188.6 SC 909 east (Rodman Road)East end of SC 909 overlap
117.3188.8 SC 909 west (Aaron Burr Road)West end of SC 909 overlap
York​123.8199.2 SC 324 west – York
Rock Hill127.9205.8 SC 72 east (Saluda Street) / SC 901 (Mount Holly Road) – Rock Hill, EdgemoorEast end of SC 72 overlap
128.1206.2 SC 5 north (Heckle Boulevard)North end of SC 5 overlap
130.4209.9 SC 5 south – Lancaster, ColumbiaSouth end of SC 5 overlap
130.7210.3 US 21 south (Anderson Road) – Lancaster, ColumbiaSouth end of US 21 overlap
132.0212.4 SC 122 (Dave Lyle Boulevard)To Catawba Reservation
134.1215.8 US 21 north / SC 322 west (Cherry Road) – Fort MillNorth end of US 21 overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

Chester business loop


South Carolina Highway 121 Business
Location: Chester, South Carolina
Length: 2.6 mi[8] (4.2 km)
Existed: 1964–N/A

SC 121 Business was established in 1964 to run concurrently with SC 72 Bus.; through downtown Chester, via West End Street, Main Street and Saluda Street/Road. It was never part of mainline SC 121, as it bypassed Chester to the south and east with SC 72. It is unknown when the business loop was decommissioned.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Google (April 7, 2014). "South Carolina Highway 121" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ General Highway Map, Orangeburg County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1940. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  3. ↑ General Highway Map, Orangeburg County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1966. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  4. ↑ General Highway Map, Aiken County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1963. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  5. ↑ General Highway Map, Aiken County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1967. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  6. ↑ General Highway Map, Newberry County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1963. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  7. ↑ General Highway Map, Newberry County, South Carolina (PDF) (Map). Cartography by SCDOT. South Carolina Department of Transportation. 1968. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ Google (September 1, 2013). "South Carolina Highway 121 Business - Chester" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved September 1, 2013.
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