Lane reversals, evacuation routes in effect: Here’s what you need to know + maps

Here’s what you need to know about evacuation routes and lane reversals in the Lowcountry for Hurricane Matthew.

Emergency crews reversed lanes on two major Beaufort County highways Wednesday to allow residents to comply with Gov. Nikki Haley’s call for all coastal residents to evacuate in preperation for Hurricane Matthew.

Gov. Haley called for all the state’s coastal residents to evacuate and move 100 miles from the coast, beginning with greater Charleston and Beaufort counties Wednesday afternoon. Georgetown and Horry county will be called to evacuate Thursday morning, Haley said.

The lane reversals will remain in effect until tropical storm conditions hit the area, said Capt. Bob Bromage of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

▪ Hilton Head/ Bluffton – One lane is reversed to create three lanes traveling west on U.S. 278. The reversal begins at the intersection of Spanish Wells Drive and ends at Moss Creek Village Drive when the highway expands to three lanes after the bridges to Hilton Head, according to Wendell Mulligan, with the S.C. Department of Transportation Beaufort office.

Emergency officials plan to keep one lane open heading east which drivers will be able to use to drive back to the island during the evacuation, pending conditions of the storm, Mulligan said Wednesday.

The reversal lane is approximately two miles in length and does not continue further into Bluffton. Bluffton Parkway will not be reversed.

After drivers continue on U.S. 278 through Bluffton, the right lane will exit at SC 170 where the highway narrows to two lanes, and drivers in that lane will proceed to SC 462 and eventually be directed to I-95 North at exit 28. The center and left lanes will continue on U.S 278.

The center lane will then become the right lane and will be directed to I-95 North at exit 8. The left lane will continue on to US 278 to Hampton County and eventually North Augusta.

Some lane changing may be possible on the evacuation route, but could become difficult and drivers may have to be diverted away from their intended destination., Mulligan said.

▪ Beaufort – U.S. 21 is reversed to create three lanes at U.S. 21 Business near the intersection with Parris Island Gateway until U.S. 17. U.S. 21 is the only road with lane reversals in northern Beaufort County, according to S.C. DOT.

The remaining right lane will be directed to US 17 North to SC 303 to Walterboro. The left lane will be directed to US 17 South, then to US 17 Alt/US 21 to Yemassee and ultimately to North Augusta.

▪ Charleston to Columbia – A full, four-lane reversal on I-26 in Charleston begins at the interchange of I-26 and I-526. The full reversal continues west until the I-26 crossover to I-77 just outside Columbia in Lexington County.

▪ Horry County – Horry County has two, four lane reversals:

S.C. 544 to U.S. 378

S.C. 22 (Conway Bypass) to S.C. 576 near Marion County.

All other roads not listed above should have normal lane directions, according to S.C. DOT officials Wednesday.

Lowcountry residents were discouraged by the governor and first responders from staying in the area after Wednesday afternoon. Those who do stay, however, should be able to travel freely in the area during the evacuation, but if weather conditions deteriorate that is subject to change in the coming days, Bromage of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said.

Comfort stations are set up along the evacuation routes including water and bathrooms for evacuees, Gov. Haley said in a Wednesday morning press conference.

Most hotel rooms in the Midlands were booked by Wednesday morning, but there were still openings in the Upstate, Haley said.

In Georgia, Gov. Nathan Deal issued a state of emergency for 13 coastal counties, but no evacuations have yet been ordered by mid-day Wednesday.

Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall urges drivers to use extreme caution during hurricane conditions, particularly those using reversed lanes to evacuate the coastal areas.

“The usual rules of the road are changed in reversed lanes. The reversals are designed to keep traffic flowing, however, traveling speeds will be slower than normal. Drivers need to pay extra attention while in reversed traffic,” said Hall.​​

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Lane reversals, evacuation routes in effect: Here’s what you need to know + maps."