The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) propose to widen Interstate 26 (I-26) from mile marker (MM) 145 to MM 172 in Orangeburg and Dorchester Counties.

The project includes the following elements: adding a travel lane in each direction of I-26 toward the existing median, median clearing, barrier walls and cable guardrail installation, addressing all structures, and improving the interchanges and ramps at Exits 149, 154, 159, and 165. The interchange at I-26 and I-95 is excluded from this project and is being improved via a separate project.

• Phase 1 includes I-26 from the eastern limits of the interchange with US 601 (Exit 145) through the interchange with US 301 (Exit 154).
• Phase 2 includes I-26 from the eastern limits of the interchange with US 301 (Exit 154) to the western limits of the interchange with US 15 (Exit 172).

The purpose of the project is to increase capacity within the project study limits to alleviate existing and future congestion, address geometric deficiencies along I-26 and at the interchanges by bringing them up to current interstate design standards, and improve corridor safety by addressing deficiencies that contribute to the corridor's crash rate.