LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — Relief may finally be on the way for drivers who regularly face traffic congestion at one of Lexington County’s busiest intersections.
A major road improvement project, known as the "Sunset Split," is moving forward along U.S. Highway 378 in Lexington. According to transportation officials, traffic volumes exceed 50,000 vehicles per day.
The project focuses on the intersection of Corley Mill Road and Sunset Boulevard, a well-known traffic bottleneck and accident-prone area.
“Eastbound and westbound 378 will be split, and Corley Mill Road intersection will be relocated a little bit to the west, and so it’s a multimillion-dollar road improvement, but one that changes the level of service significantly,” said Lexington Transportation Director Randy Edwards.
According to data from the South Carolina Department of Transportation, 88 crashes at the intersection occurred between 2022 and 2024. Many of those crashes occurred during lunchtime on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“It’s one of our highest crash rate intersections, just being just off of I-20, so the need to make improvements is there and it's always been there for years," Edwards said. "Significant congestion every a.m. and p.m. peak, as well as River Bluff High School and Meadow Glen."
Some Lexington residents said the traffic woes are noticeable daily. A worker at a nearby gas station echoed the concerns and said the project could be transformative once completed.
“I work during the evening shifts, so I always see, like, the cars getting stacked and stacked along this Sunset Boulevard into Corley Mill Road, and the roads are just not enough; it's only one lane in,” said resident Justin Reyoneso.
“It will serve the area well; it’s just that any sort of construction is never instant. So, construction it just leaves more build-up, more traffic, and all that sort of stuff," Reyoneso added. "But overall, I do think it’s a good direction and a good approach to this growing area.”
While construction has yet to start, officials are in the final stages of acquiring the necessary properties.
“Overall, for most of the parcels, we are able to move forward, and we anticipate getting our revisions, you know, to DOT shortly and hopefully, we'll get that last couple of parcels so that we can move forward 100% on right-of-way,” Edwards said.
Construction on the Sunset Split is expected to be completed in 2027.