Columbia, S.C. (December 20, 2024)— The South Carolina Department of Transportation will temporarily reduce the speed limit on part of US Hwy 501 in Horry County to 45 miles per hour as part of the 501 widening project. This reduction will go into effect on January 2, 2025.
The reduction will be in effect from Gardner Lacey Road to the SC 544 and US 501 interchange on both the south and northbound sides of US 501.
SCDOT encourages drivers to slow down and pay attention to signs and crews when driving through work zones.
Highway 501 North speed limit reduction ends here. Begins here driving South
About Hwy 501 and its history
US Highway 501 has undergone multiple route and alignment modifications throughout its history, which consist of:
In 1926, US Hwy 501 was created as an initial roadway connecting Durham, North Carolina to Burkeville, Virginia. Initially known as NC 13, the state highway designation was later changed to NC 55 around 1930.
In 1934, US 501 underwent a change in its route, as it started sharing the same path as US 15 from Durham to Laurinburg. From there, it continued southeast towards Rowland before reaching the South Carolina border.
In 1953, US 501 was detoured away from Chapel Hill, resulting in the re-designation of the previous route within Chapel Hill as Business 15-501.
Laurinburg was bypassed by US 501 during the years 1960 to 1962.
US 501 was relocated in 1964 to its present southern bypass route, shifting from downtown Conway.
In 1990, the eastern bypass from downtown Marion became the new route for US 501.
The current route of US 501 runs from Buena Vista, Virginia to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
