U.S. Route 278 (US 278) is a east–west

United States highway The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

that traverses through the

South Carolina Lowcountry The Lowcountry (sometimes Low Country or just low country) is a geographic and cultural region along South Carolina's coast, including the Sea Islands. The region includes significant salt marshes and other coastal waterways, making it an impor ...

, from North Augusta to

Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island, sometimes referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a South Carolina Lowcountry, Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia, and southwest of C ...

Route description

After crossing the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...

from Georgia, US 278 bypasses downtown

North Augusta, South Carolina North Augusta is a city in Aiken and Edgefield counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, on the north bank of the Savannah River. The population was 21,348 at the 2010 census. The city is included in the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) ...

to the south en route to Beech Island and Johnson Crossroads. It then forms a de facto northern boundary of the

Savannah River Site The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) reservation in the United States in the state of South Carolina, located on land in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell counties adjacent to the Savannah River, southeast of August ...

, crossing into the property on a few occasions. The route then continues eastward and then southward through the communities of Barnwell, Kline, Allendale, Fairfax,

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia *Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria Canada * Hampton, New Brunswick *Ha ...

, Varnville, Ridgeland, and

Hardeeville Hardeeville is a city in Jasper and Beaufort counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 7,473 as of the 2020 census, an increase of over 150% since 2010. Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufo ...

where it meets

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

. US 278 shares the route between Ridgeland and Hardeeville with US 17. From Allendale to Almeda, US 278 runs along the CSX

Augusta Subdivision The Augusta Subdivision is a railroad line owned by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina. The line runs from Augusta, Georgia, to Yemassee, South Carolina, for a total of . At its north end it continues south from t ...

. Upon reaching Hardeeville, the route heads eastward toward the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

with large residential and commercial developments lining the spine of the road from Hardeeville through Okatie and Bluffton. The route crosses over Calibogue Sound onto

. After a five-mile stretch in which the route is tolled, US 278 ends at US 278 Business on the southern portion of Hilton Head Island, just outside

Sea Pines Plantation The Sea Pines Resort or Sea Pines is located in Sea Pines Plantation, a 5,200-acre private residential gated community located on the southern tip of the island which comprises the town of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Sea Pines is home to f ...

Cross Island Parkway

, US 278 was previously routed along what is now US 278 Business until a new toll road, named the Cross Island Parkway, opened on January 16, 1998. The section of roadway cost $83 million to build and was funded with a combination of state funds, federal funds, state highway bonds and tolls. The

controlled access A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

toll road has only one interchange along its route at Marshland Drive. It was the first toll road built in South Carolina in modern history. A majority of the road users pay their tolls using

Palmetto Pass Palmetto Pass (often referenced as PAL PASS) is an electronic toll-collection system used on all toll roads in South Carolina. It was originally administered by the South Carolina Department of Transportation and is now operated by the Connector ...

, South Carolina's system for electronic toll collection. Tolls were removed on June 30, 2021, not long after the last of the bonds sold to build the road were retired. The completion of the Cross Island Parkway (a direct expressway connection from the north side to the south side of the island) has caused a great amount of commercial and residential development along the road. Before the toll road opened, it could take one hour to travel the route of what was then signed as US 278 (William Hilton Parkway) during peak tourism season. The Cross Island Parkway greatly relieved congestion on that road when it opened.

History

US 278 was established, in South Carolina, in 1965, traveling from

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navig ...

. Crossing the

, in concurrency with US 1/ US 25/ US 78/ SC 121, it then overlapped with SC 125 on Atomic Road, to Beech Island. Replacing SC 28 from Beech Island to Almeda, where it then replaced SC 128, going through Ridgeland, to Old House. Replacing part of SC 462, it went south into Bluffton and then east into Hilton Head Island, replacing part of SC 46. Throughout the 1980s, US 278 was widen to four-lane, in phases, east of SC 170, in Bluffton. In 1996-1997, US 278 was rerouted south of Ridgeland to

, then east on new primary routing to SC 170, in Bluffton. Its former routing was replaced by SC 336 to Old House and SC 462 to SC 170. In 1998, US 278 was rerouted onto new routing along the west side of Hilton Head Island; known as the Cross Island Parkway, the toll road provides quicker access to the far south end of the island. The old alignment, in Hilton Head Island, became US 278 Business.

Tolls

Toll rates, for 2-axle vehicles, along Cross Island Parkway were $1.25 at the toll plaza and $1.00 at the Marshland Road/Spanish Wells Road interchange. Each additional axle was $1.00 (plaza and ramps). The toll plaza had both electronic toll collection (ETC) and cash lanes, which were staffed 24 hours a day; Marshland Road/Spanish Wells Road interchange accept only ETC or exact change only. Those that did not have exact change or do not pay the toll had five days to contact the Cross Island Parkway Customer Service Center to make a payment; after that time, a violation notice was mailed. Travelers that made a mistake of taking the toll road may request a "Turn Around Pass", which gives them ten minutes to continue along the highway, turn around at the roundabout and return the pass at the toll plaza on the return trip. Only the

was accepted on the Cross Island Parkway. On July 1, 2021, the tolls were removed because the final bond payment was paid on the $81 million road that was opened in 1998.

Major intersections

References

External links

*
US 278 at Virginia Highways' South Carolina Highways Annex
{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=278, state=South Carolina, statebefore=Georgia, stateafter= 78-2 Transportation in Aiken County, South Carolina Transportation in Barnwell County, South Carolina Transportation in Allendale County, South Carolina Transportation in Hampton County, South Carolina Transportation in Jasper County, South Carolina Transportation in Beaufort County, South Carolina South Carolina