Work on the $88 million Interstate 77 widening and rehabilitation project in north Richland County was set to start yesterday, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT).
The two-year project, covering a seven-mile stretch of I-77 between the I-20 and Percival Road interchanges and extending to Blythewood Road, is expected to be near completion by July 2018.
Plans call for widening the northbound and southbound lanes of I-77 and adding a travel lane in each direction beginning between S.C. 12 (Percival Road) and ending at the Killian Road interchange. The additional lanes will be constructed within the existing interstate median.
Ten bridges on I-77 within the project area will be widened toward the median to support new lanes.
Traffic will be staged in the area during construction, using temporary concrete barriers to separate the work zone from interstate traffic. All I-77 travel lanes will remain open during the daytime, with any necessary lane closures at night.
The project also includes the rehabilitation of the existing I-77 southbound pavement from just north of Killian to Blythewood Road. This work will consist of repairing and then overlaying the concrete pavement with a new asphalt pavement.
