US 21 Chester to Rock Hill 1949 Official

SC 72 Chester to Rock Hill 1950 Official

In late 1950, SC 72 was removed from S-1-3 and S-24-1 west of Greenwood. The straighter path was SC 702.
In 1950 (bridge date), SC 72 was removed from Christian Rd loop at Coronaca Creek east of Greenwood.
About 1951, SC 72 was rebuilt to avoid central Abbeville and straightened out east to Greenwood County, leaving behind a little SC 28 (now S-1-1); SC 203; lengthy S-1-133.

SC 7 Calhoun Falls to Greenwood 1941 Official

SC 72 Calhoun Falls to Greenwood 1942 Official

SC 72 bypasses Abbeville and replaces SC 702 to Greenwood 1951 Official

About 1952, SC 72 was placed on newly constructed bypass around the south and east of Chester, leaving behind SC 72 Bus (now S-12-276 and S-12-275).

SC 72 into Chester 1942 Chester County

SC 72 Bypasses Chester 1952 Chester County

In 1953, SC 72 was placed on the Rock Hill bypass, replacing SC 72 ALT. The old route into Rock Hill became SC 72 Business.
About 1960, SC 72 was placed on newly constructed bypass around the north of Greenwood, leaving behind SC 72 Bus.

SC 72 through Greenwood 1958 Greenwood County

SC 72 Bypasses Greenwood 1960 Greenwood County

Between 1990-96, SC 72 was placed on a bypass south around Clinton, leaving behind SC 72 Business. The full Clinton bypass was actually built by 1985, but it was P-3002 at first. Official maps do not differentiate when it changed from a P route to SC 56-72 Bypass.

P-3002 Bypasses Clinton 1987 Laurens County

SC 72 Bypasses Clinton 1996 Laurens County

In 2005, SC 72 was removed from S-1-579 Savannah St and instead placed on a mix of new construction and an upgrade to part of S-1-78 on Cox Ave through Calhoun Falls.

SC 72 original Calhoun Falls routing 2005 Abbeville County

SC 72 new Calhoun Falls routing 2010 Calhoun Falls

In 2013, SC 72 was removed from the Rock Hill bypass (leaving behind SC 5 and SC 121) and instead replaced SC 72 Business to end at SC 122 in central Rock Hill.

SC 72 Bypasses Rock Hill 1962 York County

SC 72 rerouted into Rock Hill 2013 City of Rock Hill

Improvements: Fully paved upon designation.
SC 72's first 4-lane segment arrived in 1962, along the US 176 multiplex.
A mile or so east of the Greenwood bypass was 4-laned between 1966-67.
The Chester Bypass was 4-laned in 1977.
The entire US 221 multiplex was 4-laned between 1983-85.
The eastern half of SC 72's Greenwood Bypass was 4-laned by 1987.
The easternmost 3 miles of SC 72 when still on the Rock Hill Bypass were 4-laned in 1990.
The western half of the Greenwood Bypass was 4-laned in 1992, as was SC 72 from Abbeville east to the Sumter National Forest boundary.
All of SC 72 between Abbeville and Greenwood was 4-laned in 1997.
Around 2004 (bridge dates), SC 72 was multilaned from US 221 to around Clinton.
SC 72 was 4-laned from Abbeville west to the Georgia State Line in 2005.
Comment: SC 72 is a major east-west routing in South Carolina, connecting several larger towns.
SC 72 crosses large portions of Sumter National Forest.
SC 72's multiplex with SC 121 is easily South Carolina's longest current multiplex at 48 miles.

SC 72 #1 1926 Official

SC 72 becomes US 221 1932 Official

SC 72 #2: Appeared in 1940 as new primary routing, running as a 2 mile stub north off SC 7 (now SC 72-121) to Leeds in southwestern Chester County.
This SC 72 was renumbered as SC 722 in 1942. Today it is S-12-25.

SC 72 from SC 7 to Leeds 1940 Official

SC 722 replaces SC 72 1942 Official