New modernized Macedonia/Green River bridge to open
As part of the Interstate 85 widening project in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) contractor is progressing on removal of the second 5-mile section of chute. The first 5-mile section of chute was removed in September.
Beginning Thursday night, Oct. 21, 2021, there will be changes in the Exit 87 interchange traffic flow as the contractor begins major steps for this additional chute removal.
First, there will be a temporary closure of the entrance ramp from Green River Road (Exit 87) onto I 85 northbound. (Detour map below) Traffic will be detoured onto Green River Road, left onto US 29 and left onto Hyatt Street back to I-85 northbound. Additionally, the southbound exit ramp at Green River Road (Exit 87) will be closed. Traffic will be detoured to Exit 83 and north on I-85 northbound to Exit 87 to Green River Road. These ramps will be closed until the permanent ramps are open to traffic in Spring 2022.
And second, as part of the Exit 87 work, the other two ramps at this interchange (northbound exit ramp and southbound entrance ramp) will reopen to traffic on Thursday night.
In addition, the new modernized Macedonia/Green River bridge over I-85 will open to traffic as well. This higher, wider bridge is designed to accommodate 6 lanes of traffic below on the interstate, with room for future widening.
The new interchange will also increase safety by eliminating the current two-way traffic on ramps leading to frontage roads, making the new ramps one-directional. This will eliminate an antiquated traffic pattern and bring it up to current standards.
Once the first five miles of the chute were removed on Sept. 15, the contractor immediately began to focus efforts on the 90 days of prep work necessary to remove the second 5 miles of the chute between mile markers 86 and 91. SCDOT anticipates the second 5 miles of the chute will be removed before the end of 2021.
SCDOT continues to urge motorists to slow down, pay attention and drive carefully as the contractor works on the reconstruction and widening of 21 miles of I-85 between mile markers 77 and 98 in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties.
Learn more about this important interstate project by visiting www.85Widening.com.
