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Interstate 26 has no business loops or spurs, but two of its "children" routes, Interstates 126 and 526, have/had business spurs associated with them. Unlike other states, South Carolina has a propensity to mark any surface street connection between the end of the freeway and its actual terminus at another surface street or highway as an Interstate Business Spur. The freeway sections of Interstates 20, 385, and 526 convert into business spurs once they change into expressway or surface street standards prior to meeting their end. At one time, Interstate 126 had a similar end. Most other states do not use this method of signing; Interstate 381 in Virginia, for example, changes into Virginia 381 before terminating.
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| Columbia
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Business Spur I-126 is signed by a couple of hanging signs in Columbia for Elmwood Avenue between the eastern end of Interstate 126 and the southwestern end of South Carolina 277. Interstate 126 becomes Business Spur I-126 (with a green shield) after it crosses the Huger Street viaduct (U.S. 21-176-321) in downtown Columbia along Elmwood Avenue (U.S. 21-76-176-321).
Although there are shields for Business Spur I-126, it may not have been the intended designation for Elmwood Avenue. Chris Martin wrote on November 4, 2000, "I just had lunch with a friend over from the SCDOT and the subject of the BS-126 controversy came up in our conversation. Apparently, it is indeed correct that there is no BS-126, not anymore, not ever. He says it does not appear on any of their planning maps from the late 1950s (when the Interstate 26 system was commissioned) onward. He is not sure whether or not it existed somewhere unofficially, however. The two BS-126 signs that still exist on overhangs between Sumter/Main and Assembly/Main are for a ghost highway!" |
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