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The Highways of South Carolina US 76 
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US 76
From: Georgia State Line near Long Creek(Oconee County)
To: North Carolina State Line (Horry County)
Total Length: 142.8 miles  
Nationally, US 76 runs from US 11-41-64-72 Chattanooga, TN to Wrightsville Beach, NC.
ROUTE LOG
GA STATE LINE: 0 - 0
US 123 SB: 17.7 - 17.7
SC 183: 0.1 - 17.8
SC 24: 1.2 - 19
SC 11: 2.8 - 21.8
SC 28 NB, SC 59: 4.1 - 25.9
SC 130: 2.4 - 28.3
SC 93: 4.4 - 32.7
Pickens-Oconee Line: 0.8 - 33.5
SC 133: 1 - 34.5
US 123 NB: 0.3 - 34.8
SC 93: 0.7 - 35.5
SC 88: 0.5 - 36
Anderson-Pickens Line: 1.8 - 37.8
SC 187 NB: 2 - 39.8
SC 187 SB: 0.7 - 40.5
I-85 (exit 19): 5.7 - 46.2
SC 28 SB, BEGIN SC 28 Bus: 1.8 - 48
US 178 WB: 0.8 - 48.8
SC 28 Bus SB: 1.2 - 50
US 29 Bus NB, SC 81 NB: 2.4 - 52.4
SC 24: 0.4 - 52.8
US 29 Bus SB, SC 81 SB: 0.2 - 53
SC 28 Bus: 0.1 - 53.1
US 29 SB: 1.2 - 54.3
US 29 NB: 0.6 - 54.9
SC 252: 3.6 - 58.5
SC 413: 2.9 - 61.4
SC 20 SB: 2.3 - 63.7
SC 20 NB: 0.1 - 63.8
SC 252 WB: 8.2 - 72
US 178 EB: 0.1 - 72.1
SC 252 EB: 0.5 - 72.6
Greenville-Anderson Line: 4.8 - 77.4
US 25 NB: 2 - 79.4
US 25 SB: 1.1 - 80.5
Laurens-Greenville Line: 0 - 80.5
SC 101: 6 - 86.5
SC 252: 8.1 - 94.6
US 76 Bus: 1.5 - 96.1
SC 14 NB: 1.3 - 97.4
SC 14 SB: 0.2 - 97.6
US 221: 0.8 - 98.4
US 76 Bus, SC 127: 1.8 - 100.2
SC 56 Bus, SC 72 Bus: 6.5 - 106.7
SC 56, SC 72: 1.6 - 108.3
SC 66: 4.2 - 112.5
SC 560: 3.2 - 115.7
Newberry-Laurens Line: 0 - 115.7
US 76 Bus, SC 121: 10.9 - 126.6
SC 34 EB, SC 34 Bus: 2 - 128.6
SC 219: 0.2 - 128.8
SC 34 WB: 0.8 - 129.6
US 76 Bus: 0.3 - 129.9
SC 391: 4.6 - 135.5
SC 773: 3.7 - 139.2
SC 202: 4.4 - 143.6
Lexington-Newberry Line: 3.1 - 146.7
Richland-Lexington Line: 5 - 151.7
SC 6: 4.7 - 156.4
US 176 WB: 1.3 - 157.7
I-26 WB (exit 101), US 176 EB: 3.4 - 161.1
SC 60: 0.7 - 161.8
Lexington-Richland Line: 1.2 - 163
Richland-Lexington Line: 3.6 - 166.6
I-20 (exit 64): 0.7 - 167.3
I-26 EB (exit 108), BEGIN I-126: 0.6 - 167.9
END I-126, BEGIN I-126 Bus, US 21 SB, US 176 EB, US 321 SB: 3.1 - 171
SC 48: 0.6 - 171.6
I-126 Bus END, US 21 NB, US 176 WB, US 321 NB: 0.1 - 171.7
SC 277: 0.3 - 172
SC 12: 0.5 - 172.5
US 1 SB, US 378 WB: 0.4 - 172.9
US 1 NB: 0.9 - 173.8
SC 16: 2.3 - 176.1
SC 760: 0.2 - 176.3
SC 262: 1.6 - 177.9
I-77 (exit 9): 0.2 - 178.1
SC 768: 2.1 - 180.2
SC 769: 5 - 185.2
SC 764: 4.5 - 189.7
US 601: 5.1 - 194.8
SC 263: 2.3 - 197.1
Sumter-Richland Line: 1.2 - 198.3
SC 261: 6.1 - 204.4
SC 441: 1.7 - 206.1
SC 120: 6.8 - 212.9
US 76 Bus, US 521: 0.3 - 213.2
US 15: 2.6 - 215.8
US 401: 1.5 - 217.3
US 76 Bus, US 378 EB: 0.9 - 218.2
SC 154: 7.2 - 225.4
Lee-Sumter Line: 1.7 - 227.1
SC 527: 0.9 - 228
SC 341: 7.1 - 235.9
Florence-Lee Line: 1.9 - 237.8
SC 403 SB: 5.7 - 243.5
SC 403 NB: 1.7 - 245.2
I-95 (exit 157): 4.3 - 249.5
SC 51: 3.8 - 253.3
I-20 Bus: 0.3 - 253.6
US 52, US 301 SB: 2.3 - 255.9
SC 327 NB: 4.7 - 260.6
SC 327 SB: 1.7 - 262.3
Marion-Florence Line: 6.2 - 268.5
US 301 NB: 1.2 - 269.7
SC 576: 6.3 - 276
US 501 Bus, SC 41 ALT: 1.4 - 277.4
US 501: 2.8 - 280.2
SC 41, SC 917 WB: 6.2 - 286.4
SC 917 EB: 0.1 - 286.5
SC 9 WB: 6.9 - 293.4
Horry-Marion Line: 0.9 - 294.3
SC 9 EB: 0.7 - 295
NC STATE LINE: 6.6 - 301.6
Creation: Appeared in 1927 as an original US Route. Initially began in Greenville at US 29/SC 8 (corner of Main St. and Buncombe St.). US 76 was paired with SC 2, running up Main St. to E. North St, then east to Laurens Rd.
US 76 proceeded through Fountain Inn and Simpsonville to Laurens, then southeast through Clinton, Newberry, and Prosperity, then down to Columbia, entering from the north on Main St, then east on Lady St. (dropped SC 2 and picked up SC 3) to Sumter St., then south to Gervais St. which US 76/SC 3 followed to Harden St., then south to Devine St, which headed east out of town.
US 76 continued east to Sumter, then northeast through Mayesville and Timmonsville, before ending in Florence at US 17, at the corner of Palmetto and Irby.
Adjustments: In 1928, US 76 lost its SC 3 multiplex from Columbia to Florence, but the SC 2 multiplex remained.
By 1932, US 76 ran in Columbia directly from Main to Gervais. Lady and Sumter Sts. have been unnumbered since.
In 1932, US 76 underwent a significant change at Laurens. Instead of heading northwest to Greenville, US 76 was instead routed west to Belton and Honea Path (replacing SC 15); west to Anderson, then northwest to Clemson (both replacing SC 24), then west with SC 2 to Seneca, then replacing SC 13 to Westminster, before heading into Georgia replacing part of SC 18 in the northwestern corner of the state. The old route to Greenville became US 276/SC 2. Today it is SC 14 from Laurens to Simpsonville (ok...it is a frontage road for 2 miles along I-385 for part of that); SC 417 from Simpsonville to Mauldin; US 276 into Greenville, and I-385 Bus on North St.
In 1935, US 76 was extended east from Florence, by heading north on Irby St then east on Cheves St out of town, then through Marion and Mullins before heading east into North Carolina. This replaced the original routing of US 17.
In 1937 or 1938, US 76 was routed around the south of Mayesville as new construction. The old route is shown as unnumbered primary route on official maps 1938-42. Today it is S-42-1 (E. Main St) and the southernmost piece of SC 154 (Lafayette St). Also in this timeframe, US 76 was routed around the north of Prosperity. This left behind an extended SC 391 along N. Main St. and Elm St, which is shown as unnumbered primary routing on official maps 1938-42. Elm St. is S-36-11 today.
In 1940, US 76 was rebuilt west of SC 261 approaching the Wateree River. The old route used SC 261 to Stateburg and S-42-38 westward from there. Also in 1940, US 76 was routed around the south of Timmonsville. The old route is shown as unnumbered primary route on official maps 1940-42. Today this is S-21-18.
I have no Columbia inset maps from 1936-45. The 1946 Mobilgas map of Columbia shows US 76 using Main St south to Elmwood, then east to Sumter St, then south to Gervais.
Maps are vague about this in the 30's-40's, but by 1948 US 76 was placed on Palmetto St all the way through Florence.
In 1951 or 1952, US 76 was placed on the bypass north around Newberry, which had been SC 192 for 20+ years. The old route through town became US 76 Business.
Between 1951-53, US 76 was rerouted in Columbia again. Instead of using Harden and Devine from Gervais, US 76 used Gervais to Millwood Ave as it does today. The Devine St portion later became US 21-76 CONN.
In 1957 or 1958, US 76 received a new north bypass of Seneca. The old route through town became US 76 Business. Today it is SC 130 and SC 59.
In 1959, US 76 was straightened out from Seneca eastward, avoiding the Newry area. A small piece became part of SC 130, but mostly it became S-37-1. Also in 1959, US 76 received its northern bypass of Sumter, leaving behind US 76 Business. Also in 1959, US 76 was rerouted in Columbia to use Bull St to get from Elmwood to Gervais instead of Sumter St.
In 1961, US 76 was rerouted in Columbia using I-26 and I-126 to get to Elmwood. The old route north from Columbia out to the Irmo area remained part of US 176.
In 1962 or 1963, US 76 was rerouted around the east and north of Clemson as new routing. This left behind SC 93. Also in this timeframe, US 76 was placed on a western bypass of Pendleton, leaving behind SC 28 Business (current SC 187 and SC 88 today).
In 1964, US 76 was rerouted in Anderson to use Murray Ave instead of Main St. Main St. remained part of SC 28 (Business, today).
US 76 was placed on new alignment bypassing Richland no later than 1982, although this could have happened much, much earlier. The old route is S-37-13.
The US 76 bypass of Laurens is first shown on the 1982 Official Map.
Improvements: US 76's Greenville to Florence routing was mostly paved upon inception, except from Mayesville to Timmonsville and from Clinton to Kinards
By 1932, US 76 was fully paved except between Princeton and Honea Path; Westminster to the Georgia Line.
In 1940, Honea Path to Princeton was fully paved.
In 1942, US 76 was fully paved from Westminster to Georgia, the last section of US Routing in South Carolina to be paved.
The first pieces of US 76 to be 4-lane were in place by 1946: Columbia north to the Broad River and the US 29 Byp multiplex in Anderson.
By 1954, US 76 was 4-lane from Columbia east to SC 262 and also on the US 521 multiplex in Sumter.
In 1957 or 1958, US 76 was 4-laned from SC 262 to SC 263 and from SC 441 to Sumter.
In 1959, US 76 was 4-laned from Seneca to Clemson and all of Columbia to the end of the Sumter Bypass except the Wateree Swamp crossing.
US 76 was 4-laned in 1961 on its I-26 and I-126 multiplexes.
In 1962 or 1963, US 76 was 4-laned from Clemson to I-85 and from Florence east to the US 301 split in Pee Dee.
US 76 was 4-laned when placed on Murray Ave in Anderson in 1964.
Between 1965-67, US 76 was 4-laned from I-85 south to central Anderson. Also in this timeframe, US 76 was 4-laned a couple miles west of the Seneca Bypass; also, a mile or so east of SC 24.
Between 1968-70, US 76 was 4-laned from Anderson east to SC 252 and also from Clinton to Laurens.
In 1971 or 1972, US 76 was 4-laned across the Wateree River area.
In 1973, US 76 was 4-laned on the Seneca Bypass.
In 1974 or 1975, US 76 was 4-laned from SC 252 to Belton and from US 301 Pee Dee to Marion. Also, US 76 is shown as 4-laned a couple miles east of Clinton. Also, US 76 was 4-laned from Florence southwest to I-95.
In 1978, US 76 was 4-laned from Marion to Mullins.
In 1982, US 76 was fully 4-laned from Westminster to Seneca.
The Newberry Bypass was 4-laned by 1985, although the 1997 Map is the first to actually show it.
Newberry to Prosperity was 4-laned between 1993-96.
Comment: US 76 was the original main east-west route across South Carolina.
US 76 is not that well traveled anymore because of all the towns, and I-20 and I-26 are more direct.
Only northwest of Anderson and between Florence and Marion does US 76 truly maintain its prominence.
US 76BUSINESS
From: US 76 Laurens (Laurens County)
To: US 76SC 127 Watts Mill (Laurens County)
Total Length: 3.6 miles  
ROUTE LOG
US 76: 0 - 0
SC 14: 1.6 - 1.6
US 221: 0.2 - 1.8
US 76, SC 127: 1.8 - 3.6
Creation: Appeared by 1982, running as it does now. It was mainline US 76 prior to this.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Fully paved from inception; no multilane sections shown on official maps.
Comment: US 76 Business for Laurens uses Main St.
US 76 Business was once part of SC 2 east of Church St. and original SC 15 west of Church St.
US 76 Business  Renumbered
Previous US 76 Business: US 76 Business: Appeared in 1957 or 1958 as Seneca was bypassed to the north. This route had been part of SC 2 originally. Used North 1st St.
US 76 Business was renumbered as part of SC 59 and SC 130 in 2000 (AASHTO documents).
This US 76 Business was totally multiplexed with US 123 and SC 28 Business routes.
US 76 Business  Status Unknown
Previous US 76 Business: US 76 Business: Appeared in 1951 or 1952 as the Newberry Bypass became US 76. This route had been part of SC 2 originally. Used College St., Main St., Glenn St. and Adelaide St.
US 76 Business is shown in AASHTO documents as eliminated in 2001. I have no idea if any of this is still primary routing, save for Main St (SC 34 Business) and a small piece of northern College St is SC 121. Electronic maps still show US 76 Business in place.

Last Update: 7 November 2005

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