South Carolina Highway 28

South Carolina Highway 28
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	131 mi[1][2] (211 km)
Existed:	1922 – present
Tourist routes:	Savannah River Scenic Byway
Major junctions
West end:	SR 28 at the GA line near Pine Mtn, GA
	US 76 / US 123 in Seneca I-85 near Anderson US 221 / US 378 in McCormick
East end:	US 278 / SC 125 in Beech Island
Location
Counties:	Oconee, Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, McCormick, Aiken
Highway system
South Carolina State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SC 27 US 29 →

South Carolina Highway 28 is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It traverses east–west from the Georgia, near Mountain Rest, to Beech Island. It is unique that it is a continuous highway, but separated by a 17.5-mile (28.2 km) stretch through Augusta, Georgia.

Route description

SC 28 is part of a three-state highway 28, that totals 238 miles (383 km), from Tapoco, North Carolina to Beech Island. Because of its unique routing, both Georgia and South Carolina have two sections of Highway 28.^[3]

Starting at the Russell Bridge over the Chattooga River, SC 28 starts off as a mountain rural highway, cutting through the Chattooga Ridge at Callas Gap (highest point on route). After passing Stumphouse Mountain, the curves end as it enters Walhalla. Once south of Walhalla, the road expands to four-lane (some sections divided), traveling straight to Seneca, then east around Clemson then south towards and around Anderson. Once south of Anderson, it switches into a two-lane rural road through Antreville, around Abbeville, and through McCormick. Along the banks of Lake Strom Thurmond, it eventually crosses over a non-dammed section of the Savannah River near Augusta, Georgia.

SC 28 returns into the state, just southeast of Augusta as a four-lane highway for 1.9 miles (3.1 km) before ending in Beech Island.

History

Established as an original primary route in 1922, SC 28 went northwest from Allendale, through Ellenton, to Beech Island. In 1928, it was extended southeast, replacing SC 1 from Allendale to Yemassee, then replaced SC 30 to Beaufort. Seven years later, SC 28 was truncated in Yemassee, replaced by an extension of U.S. Route 21 to Beaufort.

In 1938, SC 28 was extended northwest, going through Georgia as SR 28, to Abbeville (replacing SC 20); then from Abbeville to Anderson (replacing SC 18); and finally from Anderson to the Georgia state line along the Chattooga River (replacing SC 24).

In 1940, SC 28 was extended southeast to Gardens Corner as new primary routing; however, eight years later the extension was dropped, truncated back in Yemassee.

In 1951 or 1952, SC 28 between Beech Island and Allendale was cut off by the establishment of the Savannah River Site. In 1953, SC 28 was rerouted north around the Savannah River Site (replacing part of SC 781), then along new primary routing south to Barnwell, and then back to Allendale (replacing part of SC 3). Most of the old route became part of SC 125 and SC 641; other sections, that now reside in the Savannah River Site, are off limits.

In 1957 or 1958, two bypass routes were built along SC 28: Seneca and Abbeville; old routes through both cities became SC 28 Business. In 1959, SC 28 was straighten out east of Seneca, avoiding Newry. In the early 1960s, two more bypass routes were built along SC 28: Anderson, South Carolina and Pendleton; also, SC 28 was rerouted north and east around Clemson, leaving SC 93.

In 1965, SC 28 was truncated at Beech Island, all points east was replaced by US 278 and SC 68. In 1973, SC 28 was moved south onto new road between Walhalla and Bounty Land, the old route became "Old Walhalla Highway".^[4]

Junction list

County	Location	mi[5]	km	Destinations	Notes
Oconee	​	8.5	13.7	SC 107 north (Oscar Wigington Scenic Byway) – Cashiers, Sylva	To Oconee State Park
	Walhalla	16.5	26.6	SC 183 (College Street/Catherine Street) – Westminster	Brief overlap with SC 183
	West Union	17.5	28.2	SC 11 (Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway) – Tamassee, Salem
	​	19.5	31.4	Union Road/Popular Springs Road
	Bounty Land	22	35	SC 188 north (Keowee School Road)
	Seneca	23.5	37.8	US 76 west / US 123 west (Sandifer Boulevard) / SC 59 south (West North 1st Street) – Westminster	West end of US 76 and US 123 overlaps; northern terminus of SC 59
		26	42	SC 130 (Rochester Highway) – Newry, Salem
	​	30.5	49.1	SC 93 (Pendleton Road)
Pickens	Clemson	32	51	SC 133 (College Avenue) – Six Mile
		32.5	52.3	US 123 east (Calhoun Memorial Highway) – Easley, Greenville	East end of US 123 overlap
		33	53	SC 93 (Old Greenville Highway) – Central
		34	55	SC 28 Bus. east (Pendleton Road) – Pendleton
Anderson	Pendleton	37.5	60.4	SC 28 Bus. east (Mechanic Street) – Pendleton
	​	38	61	SC 187
	​	44	71	I-85 – Greenville, Atlanta
	Anderson	45.5	73.2	US 76 east to US 178 / SC 28 Bus. east (Clemson Boulevard)	East end of US 76 overlap
		49.5	79.7	SC 24 (Whitner Street)	To Anderson Regional Airport
		52.3	84.2	US 29 / SC 81 (Murray Avenue) – Starr, Hartwell
		52.5	84.5	SC 28 Bus. west (Main Street)
	​	56.5	90.9	SC 185 (Due West Highway) – Due West
	​	62	100	SC 413 – Iva, Belton
Abbeville	​	66	106	SC 284 north (Trail Road) – Belton	North end of SC 284 overlap
	Antreville	67	108	SC 184 west – Iva	West end of SC 184 overlap
	​	68	109	SC 284 south	South end of SC 284 overlap
	​	68.3	109.9	SC 184 east – Due West	East end of SC 184 overlap
	Abbeville	78.5	126.3	To SC 20 / Main Street – Due West
		79	127	SC 71 – Lowndesville
	​	82	132	SC 72 (Greenwood Street) – Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Mount Carmel
McCormick	​	96	154	SC 81 north (Savannah River Scenic Byway) – Willington, Mount Carmel, Calhoun Falls
	​	102	164	SC 10 north – Greenwood
	McCormick	104	167	US 221 north / US 378 – Greenwood, Lincolnton	North end of US 221 overlap; to Baker Creek S.P. and Hickory Knob S.P.
	Plum Branch	108	174	SC 283 east (Edgefield Street) – Edgefield
	Modoc	117	188	SC 23 east – Edgefield
	Clarks Hill	123	198	US 221 south – Harlem	South end of US 221 overlap
	​			SC 28 traverses through Georgia as SR 28
Aiken	Beech Island	148	238	US 278 (Williston Road) / SC 125 (Atomic Road) – Barnwell, Jackson, North Augusta	Brief overlap with US 278
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

Note: Mileage to Beech Island based on continuous travel through Augusta, Georgia.

Special routes

Seneca business loop

South Carolina Highway 28 Business
Location:	Seneca, South Carolina
Existed:	1957–2000

Business loop use to follow original SC 28 through the downtown Seneca; has since been decommissioned.^[4]

Pendleton business loop

South Carolina Highway 28 Business
Location:	Pendleton, South Carolina
Length:	3.8 mi[6] (6.1 km)
Existed:	1962–present

The 3.8 miles (6.1 km) route follows the original SC 28 through the downtown Pendleton, via Pendleton Road and Mechanic Street.^[4]

Anderson business loop

South Carolina Highway 28 Business
Location:	Anderson, South Carolina
Length:	6.8 mi[7] (10.9 km)
Existed:	1960–present

The 6.8-mile (10.9 km) route follows the original SC 28 through the downtown Anderson, via Clemson Boulevard and Main Street.^[4]

Abbeville business loop

South Carolina Highway 28 Business
Location:	Abbeville, South Carolina
Existed:	1957–1989

Business loop use to follow original SC 28 through the downtown Abbeville; has since been decommissioned.^[4]

Ellenton alternate route

South Carolina Highway 28 Alternate
Location:	Ellenton, South Carolina

SC 64 alternate route provided direct access to Ellenton's town center from the mainline. In 1952, it along with Ellenton was abandon with the establishment of the Savannah River Site.^[8]

See also

• Central Savannah River Area
• Baker Creek State Park
• Chattooga River
• Hamilton Branch State Recreation Area
• Hickory Knob State Resort Park
• Lake Hartwell
• Lake Keowee
• Lake Strom Thurmond
• Oconee State Park
• Rocky River
• Savannah River
• Seneca River
• Sumter National Forest
• Keowee River
• Redcliffe State Park

References

External links

• Media related to South Carolina Highway 28 at Wikimedia Commons