Interstate 526

Interstate 526
Mark Clark Expressway
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	19.26 mi[1] (31.00 km)
Existed:	1997 – present
Major junctions
West end:	US 17 / SC 7 in Charleston
	I-26 / SC 642 / US 52 / US 78 in North Charleston
East end:	US 17 / I-526 Bus. in Mount Pleasant
Location
Counties:	Berkeley, Charleston
Highway system
Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System Main • Auxiliary • Business South Carolina highways ← SC 522 SC 527 →

Interstate 526 (abbreviated I-526) or the Mark Clark Expressway is a beltway, Interstate Highway of Interstate 26 in Berkeley and Charleston counties in South Carolina, USA.

Route description

Interstate 526 forms a 19.26-mile (31.00 km) half-circle around the historic peninsular and West Ashley portions of the City of Charleston with the western terminus at U.S. Highway 17 west of the Ashley River, and the eastern terminus is at U.S. Highway 17, near Mt.Pleasant. Interstate I-26 and U.S. Highway 52/78 intersect with Interstate 526 in the City of North Charleston, South Carolina. There have been attempts to complete I-526 across Johns Island (to meet SC 30) as originally planned so that it will form three fourths of a circle around Charleston but each attempt has failed due to lack of credible funding and vocal opposition by special interest groups.

South Carolina Highway 30 is an orphaned segment of Interstate 526. Approximately 10 miles (16 km) separate the eastern terminus of I-526's current extent from the eastern terminus of SC 30. The mileage markers and exit numbers on both SC 30 and I-526 are based on an eventual merging of the routes: with miles 1 to 3 occurring on SC 30 and miles 10 to 30 used on the current I-526 route.

I-526 crosses the Cooper River via the Don N. Holt Bridge, the Wando River over the James B. Edwards Bridge, and the Ashley River by way of the General William B. Westmoreland Bridge.

Future

Interstate 526 is proposed^[2] to be completed as a ground-level parkway from US Route 17 onto Johns Island and James Island across SC 171, with a planted island divider in the middle and Suspension bridges over the Stono River to Johns Island. It will terminate at Western Terminus and Eastern Terminus at new stoplight intersections. SC 30 will be decommissioned. Interstate 526 would go thru Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Charleston, Johns Island and James Island. In 2009, the Town of James Island passed a resolution opposing the building of I-526 across any part of the town.^[3] Many residents,^[4] the Coastal Conservation League ^[5] as well as a grassroots group, called Nix 526,^[6] are voicing opposition to the proposed road. In April 2011, Charleston County Council voted not to ask the state for $500 million for the last eight miles of the road, and the Conservation League and Southern Environmental Law Center both supported this decision.^[7]

Business Route

Interstate 526 Business
Location:	Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

After I-526 goes over U.S. Highway 17 at its eastern terminus in Mount Pleasant, the route continues as Business Spur 526. Business 526 is named Chuck Dawley Boulevard, a surface street, and terminates at its junction with South Carolina Highway 703 (Ben Sawyer Boulevard). This street was formerly the eastern part of Coleman Boulevard and was U.S. Route 17-701 Business. Coleman Boulevard continues westward from the junction of SC 703 until its intersection with US 17 near the Cooper River Bridge.

Although Business 526 travels toward the southwest from the I-526 terminus, it is still signed east–west, corresponding with I-526.

Exit list

County	City	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Charleston	Charleston		US 17 / SC 7 south (Sam Rittenberg Boulevard) – Charleston, Jacksonboro	At-grade intersection
		11	SC 61 (Ashley River Road) – Summerville, St. Andrews
	North Charleston
		General William B. Westmoreland Bridge across the Ashley River
		14	Leeds Avenue
		15	SC 642 (Dorchester Road) / Paramount Drive
		16	Montague Avenue, International Boulevard – Charleston International Airport	Signed as exits 16A (Montague Avenue, International Boulevard) and 16B (Airport) eastbound
		17	I-26 – Charleston, Columbia	Signed as exits 17A (east) and 17B (west)
		18	US 52 / US 78 (Rivers Avenue) – North Charleston, Hanahan	Signed as exits 18A (east) and 18B (west)
		19	North Rhett Avenue
		20	Virginia Avenue	Westbound exit is via a u-turn at exit 19
Don N. Holt Bridge across the Cooper River
Berkeley	Charleston	23	Clements Ferry Road	Signed as exits 23A (south) and 23B (north) eastbound
		24	River Landing Drive, 7 Farms Drive, Island Park Drive – Daniel Island
Charleston	Mount Pleasant
		James B. Edwards Bridge across the Wando River
		28	Long Point Road
		29	US 17 north – Georgetown	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		30	US 17 south – Charleston	No eastbound exit to US 17 north
			Chuck Dawley Boulevard, Boman Road	At-grade intersection
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi      Concurrency terminus •      Closed/Former •      Incomplete access •      Unopened

References

1. ^ Route Log- Auxiliary Routes of the Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways - Table 2
2. ^ "SCDOT - I-526 - Welcome to the Mark Clark Expressway!". Dot.state.sc.us. 2010-09-30. http://www.dot.state.sc.us/i526/. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
3. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
4. ^ Rendering provided by Urban Advantage, Steve Price (2010-09-07). "Commuter rail could work here if folks will get on board | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment". Postandcourier.com. http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/sep/07/commuter-rail-could-work-here-if-folks-will-get/. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
5. ^ "I-526 Extension". Coastal Conservation League. 2010-07-28. http://coastalconservationleague.org/i-526-extension/. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
6. ^ "So Much to Lose For So Little Gain". Nix 526. http://www.nix526.org. Retrieved 2011-09-19. 
7. ^ "Decision to drop road project applauded". The Sun News. 2011-04-21. http://www.thesunnews.com/2011/04/21/2113551/the-carolinas.html. Retrieved 2011-04-21. 

External links