From: S-10-3 (old US 17) Charleston(Charleston County)
To: Georgia State Line at Hamburg (Aiken County)
Total Length: 142.8 miles
Nationally, US 123 runs from Charleston to Memphis, TN

ROUTE LOG
S-10-3: 0 - 0
US 17: 0.3 - 0.3
US 52 SB: 4.5 - 4.8
SC 7: 0.5 - 5.3
SC 642: 0.2 - 5.5
I-526 (exit 17): 3 - 8.5
US 52 NB: 6.1 - 14.6
I-26 (exit 205): 2.4 - 17
Dorchester-Charleston Line: 6 - 23
SC 165: 0.4 - 23.4
US 17 ALT: 0.3 - 23.7
SC 173: 8.9 - 32.6
SC 27 SB: 1.5 - 34.1
SC 27 NB: 0.4 - 34.5
US 178: 2.8 - 37.3
US 15: 13.6 - 50.9
I-95 (exit 77): 2.1 - 53
Orangeburg-Dorchester Line: 6.5 - 59.5
US 21 NB: 6.3 - 65.8
US 21 SB: 0.2 - 66
Bamberg-Orangeburg Line: 2.5 - 68.5
SC 61: 2.1 - 70.6
SC 362: 9.1 - 79.7
US 301, US 601: 0.8 - 80.5
US 321, SC 70: 6.7 - 87.2
Barnwell-Bamberg Line: 4.5 - 91.7
US 78 Bus: 3 - 94.7
SC 304: 0.4 - 95.1
SC 3: 0.1 - 95.2
US 78 Bus: 0.2 - 95.4
SC 37: 6.4 - 101.8
SC 39 NB: 2.9 - 104.7
SC 39 SB: 0.3 - 105
Aiken-Barnwell Line: 3.1 - 108.1
SC 781: 0.1 - 108.2
SC 118, SC 302: 15.5 - 123.7
SC 4: 0.6 - 124.3
US 1 NB: 2.3 - 126.6
SC 19 SB: 0.1 - 126.7
SC 19 NB: 0.2 - 126.9
SC 421: 3.1 - 130
SC 118: 0.2 - 130.2
SC 191: 2.1 - 132.3
SC 126: 6.5 - 138.8
US 278 EB, SC 125: 1.6 - 140.4
SC 421: 0.2 - 140.6
US 25 NB, SC 121 NB: 1.5 - 142.1
GA STATE LINE: 0.7 - 142.8

Creation: Appeared in 1927 as an original US Route, running essentially the way it does now.
Adjustments: By 1931, US 78 was no longer running through Lincolnville and central Summerville, as implied by earlier maps. It appears US 78 would've used today's S-10-63 (Dunmeyer Hill Road), Lincoln Ave, and Richardson Ave (S-18-65). These became secondary, although northern Richardson Ave was SC 165 until 2000.
Around 1939, US 78 was put onto the new dual lane highway (now Rivers Avenue) below Durant Ave, leaving behind a primary route on upper Meeting St, possibly SC 531 (S-10-39 today)
In 1951 or 1952, US 78 was placed on new 4-lane construction between Augusta and Aiken, bypassing Clearwater, Bath, and Gloverville. This left behind SC 421. There was also a new bridge over the Savannah River. The old route came out on 5th St. in downtown Augusta.
Sometime before 1981, US 78 received a bypass of Blackville.
Improvements: Paved only from Augusta to Aiken and from Summerville to Charleston initially.
By 1932, US 78 was fully paved from Augusta to Bamberg and from today's US 178 to Charleston.
Bamberg to Branchville was paved in 1933.
St. George west to the Orangeburg Line was paved in 1935.
In 1936, US 78 was fully paved from Bamberg to St. George.
The last segment of US 78 to be paved was St. George to US 178, which occurred in 1939.
The first piece of US 78 to be 4-lane was in place in 1939: Durant Ave in N. Charleston south to the King St-Meeting St. split a little south of today's SC 7.
In 1940 or 1941, US 78 was 4-laned out to the US 52 split near Goose Creek.
The US 52-78 split near Goose Creek was turned into an interchange in 1942.
US 78 was 4-laned between Augusta and Aiken in 1951 or 1952.
US 78 was 4-laned from I-95 to US 15 in 1980 or 1981.
US 78 was 4-laned in the Ladson area about 1983, and also between I-26 and Baptist College (now Charleston Southern Univ)
US 78 was 4-laned continuous from the US 52 split to west of Ladson in the mid-late 90s.
Comment: US 78 follows the first railroad in the U.S., connecting many towns along the way - Williston, Blackville, Bamberg, Branchville, St. George, and Summerville.
US 78 is not that well traveled anymore because of all the towns. Other routes from Charleston to Augusta are faster, such as I-26/US 301/SC 4 or US 17/SC 64/641/125.
There are 2 posted US 78 TRUCK routes: By 1981, the SC 118 routing around the north of Aiken; In the mid 90's, a US 78 TRUCK was posted along US 52 from the Carner Avce split to south of the King St. bridge over the railroad track (very old bridge).

BUSINESS

From:

Blackville (Barnwell County)
To:

Blackville (Barnwell County)
Total Length: 0.8 miles

ROUTE LOG
US 78: 0 - 0
SC 304: 0.5 - 0.5
SC 3: 0.1 - 0.6
US 78: 0.2 - 0.8

Creation: Appeared by 1981, running as it does now. It is unclear if this was actually mainline US 78 at any point.
Adjustments: None
Improvements: Fully paved from inception; no multilane sections.
Comment: US 78 Business for Blackville uses Main St and Hampton St.
The county map atlas I have calls this US 78-SC 3 CONN. Google Maps labels it S-6-76, so this may be gone now. I haven't been by here since the late 80s.

Last Update: 20 October 2005

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