Three exits on South Carolina’s I-385—SC 308 (Exit 2), SC 49 (Exit 5) and State Road 23 (Metric Road, Exit 10)—that had been closed during the rehabilitation project were scheduled to open on July 23 ahead of schedule. The contractor’s original completion date was Aug. 15.
The I-385 rehabilitation project consisted of the milling of some of the existing asphalt interstate and its replacement with approximately 10 in. of high-strength concrete. The interstate was widened toward the median to add shoulders where needed, provide a finished typical section that has a 4-ft inside paved shoulder, two 12-ft travel lanes and a 10-ft outside paved shoulder. The flyover bridge that connects I-26 westbound to I-385 northbound also was replaced.
The project was a showcase for integrated concrete pavement technologies. It included the 50-year design, 10-in. concrete pavement overlay on existing asphalt. The outside shoulders were placed with roller-compacted concrete.
In addition, to bring the route up to modern interstate standards, South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) paved the mainline 30 ft wide to include the inside shoulder with the same pull as the driving lanes.
The road closures started in January 2010. By maintaining southbound traffic and rerouting northbound travel, the project time was reduced from the typical three years to eight months. Closing northbound lanes saved SCDOT more than $30 million and provided the opportunity to replace the flyover bridge.
The road was costing the state of South Carolina up to $1 million a year in asphalt repair.