US 501
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From: US 17 Myrtle Beach (Horry County)
To: North Carolina State Line above Hamer (Dillon County)
Total Length: 74.1 miles  
Nationally, US 501 runs from Myrtle Beach to US 60 Buena Vista VA
ROUTE LOG
US 17 Bus: 0 - 0
US 17: 1.8 - 1.8
SC 31: 3.0 - 4.8
US 501 Bus, SC 544: 6.0 - 10.8
US 701 SB, SC 905: 2.9 - 13.7
US 378: 0.1 - 13.8
US 501 Bus, US 701 NB: 1.0 - 14.8
SC 22: 7.3 - 22.1
SC 319: 7 - 29.1
Marion-Horry Line: 4.4 - 33.5
SC 41: 3.0 - 36.5
US 501 Bus, SC 41 ALT: 6.8 - 43.3
US 76: 4.0 - 47.3
SC 41 ALT: 2.0 - 49.3
US 501 Bus: 3.0 - 52.3
SC 38: 4.3 - 56.6
Dillon-Marion Line: 0.6 - 57.2
US 301 SB: 2.6 - 59.8
SC 917: 0.4 - 60.2
SC 9 EB, SC 34, SC 57 SB: 6.7 - 66.9
SC 9 WB, SC 57 NB: 1.0 - 67.9
I-95 (exit 1): 6.1 - 74.0
NC STATE LINE: 0.1 - 74.1
Creation: Appeared in 1935 as a renumbering of US 117 from Myrtle Beach to Conway, followed US 701 to Homewood, then replaced SC 38 to Latta; then was added to US 301 from Latta to North Carolina.

1933 Official
US 117 and SC 38 Myrtle Beach to Latta
1933 Official
1935 Official
US 501 replaces US 117 and SC 38
1935 Official

Adjustments: In April 1937 (SCDOT), US 501 was removed from today's S-26-14 just east of Conway, leaving behind SC 90 ALT.
In 1949, US 501 was given a direct route from Myrtle Beach to Conway, replacing SC 503. The old routing via Socastee became part of SC 544 and all of SC 707. Today this is: S-26-272 Washington Ave; SC 544; Dick Pond Rd; SC 707; Emory Rd/Powell Lane; abandoned routing through the airport; S-26-15 Old Socastee Hwy.

1940 Official
SC 503 appears in eastern Horry County
1940 Official
1949 Official
SC 503 replaced by US 501 corridor
1949 Official

In 1951, US 501 was rerouted in Conway to use S-26-26 9th Ave to Pine St west, then replaced S-26-46 from Conway west to today's S-26-62, then on new construction over to Aynor. The old route remained US 701 to Homewood, and SC 319 over to Aynor.

1950 Official
US 501 Aynor to US 701
1950 Official
1951 Official
US 501 Aynor to US 701
1951 Official

In 1959, US 501 received its current bypass of Conway, leaving behind US 501 Business. 9th St and Pine St were removed from the primary system as 501 Business was routed via 16th St.

1952 Horry County
US 501 through Conway
1952 Horry County
1962 Horry County
US 501 Business through Conway
1962 Horry County

About 1970, US 501 was removed from S-17-630 at the North Carolina border to facilitate its interchange with I-95.
In 1990, US 501 received its Marion Bypass.

1987 Marion County
US 501 through Marion
1987 Marion County
1995 Marion County
US 501 Business through Marion
1995 Marion County

Improvements: Fully paved when assigned in 1935.
The first multilane section of US 501 was the Conway Bypass and south to Myrtle Beach, in 1959.
The next section to be upgraded was Latta to Dillon, between 1968-69.
In 1974, US 501 was 4-laned from Marion to Myrtle Beach except over the Little Pee Dee River, including an interchange at SC 41.
In 1976, US 501 was multilaned over the Little Pee Dee River.
When the Marion Bypass opened in 1990, it was multilaned, with an interchange at US 76 and on both ends.
In 2007 or 2008, US 501 was multilaned from SC 38 to the Marion Bypass.
In recent years, US 501 was upgraded to expressway with no lights from US 17 Bypass out to at least SC 31. The area just west of the Intracoastal Waterway was always very congested prior to this upgrade.
Comment: US 501 is the main route to get to Myrtle Beach from points west, though with the addition of SC 22, traffic should be more spread out.
US 501's old crossing of the Intracoastal Waterway was on a drawbridge that was shared with the railroad, which is still there (albeit closed to auto traffic).
Another 501 oddity nearby is the ramps from the US 17 interchange have at grade railroad crossings.


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Page last modified 27 August 2017