South Carolina Highway 38

SC Highway 38
Route information
Maintained by SCDOT
Length:	42.9 mi (69.0 km)
Existed:	1926 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 501 outside of Latta
	US 301 outside of Latta SC 917 outside of Latta I-95 outside of Latta SC 34 in Brownsville SC 381 in Blenheim US 401 / US 15 in Bennettsville SC 385 in Bennettsville SC 9 in Bennettsville SC 79 outside of Bennettsville
North end:	NC 38 at North Carolina state line near Hamlet
Location
Counties:	Marion, Dillon, Marlboro
Highway system
South Carolina Highways Interstate U.S. State Scenic ← SC 37 SC 39 →

South Carolina Highway 38 is a state highway that extends from US 501 in Marion County to Marlboro County near Hamlet, North Carolina. The route runs generally south-to-north across the eastern portion of the state, and is one of the most popular routes to Myrtle Beach.

Route description

Starting at US 501, SC 38 proceeds in a northerly direction across US 301 and Interstate 95 through Blenheim and Bennettsville to end at the North Carolina state line, where it continues as NC 38.

History

SC 38 was one of the first highways in the South Carolina state system, originally running from Myrtle Beach through Socastee and Conway to Marion and Latta. The section east of Conway became US 117 in 1932 and later SC 544, SC 707, and S-28-15. The section north of Conway became US 501 and SC 319 in 1935.

East of Bennettsville, SC 38 originally went through McColl, South Carolina and entered North Carolina near Laurinburg. In the mid-1920s SC 30 (now US 401) replaced the section east of Bennettsville. Then SC 38 was extended to Gibson, North Carolina around 1930. In 1938, SC 96 became SC 38 north of Bennettsville, and the road followed its current route for the first time in that area. The former SC 38 became SC 79 and later SC 385.

In 1953, the section of SC 38 east of the current I-95 became SC 917, and the former SC 380 became SC 38, giving the road its approximate current route on the south end. ^[1]

A dangerous intersection at US 301 and the CSX railroad was replaced with an interchange.

In 1983, a bypass was built around Bennettsville, with the previous SC 38 designated as SC 38 Business.^[1]

During a 15-year period starting in the early 90s, SC 38 was widened to four lanes, with medians in some areas and a center turn lane in others, in stages from Bennettsville to US. 501

In 2005, highway officials from North and South Carolina met and passed a resolution designating that Interstate 73 would be built along the route of SC 38.^[2] However, a 2008 project map shows the likely I-73 route running east of 38.^[3] In June 2012, though, Miley and Associates of Columbia, South Carolina recommended improvements to SC 38 and US 501 to create the Grand Strand Expressway (GSX), a position long held by the Coastal Conservation League, which asked for the study. SC Representative Alan Clemmons, head of the National I-73 Corridor Association, said such a plan had been considered but was not likely.^[4]

Major intersections

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Marion	Latta	0.00	0.00	US 501 – Marion, Dillon	Southern terminus
Dillon	Latta			US 301 – Sellers, Dillon
				SC 917 south	Northern terminus of SC 917
				I-95 – Florence, Dillon	I-95 exit 181.
Marlboro	Brownsville			SC 34 – Darlington, Bingham
	Blenheim			SC 381 north – Clio	Southern terminus of SC 381
	Bennettsville			US 15 / US 401 – McColl, Society Hill
				SC 385
				SC 9 – Cheraw, Clio
		42.9	69.0	SC 79
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Business loop

SC Highway 38 Business
Location:	Bennettsville, South Carolina
Length:	3 mi (5 km)

References

1. http://www.angelfire.com/sc3/scroads/sc30-39.html, Retrieved on 2009-07-07.
2. "Interstate 73 Summit a Success". SCDOT. 11 February 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
3. "Environmental Impact Study". Retrieved 7 July 2009.
4. Kelley, Amanda (June 23, 2012). "Study favors updating existing roads rather than building Interstate 73". The Sun News. Myrtle Beach, SC . Retrieved June 26, 2012.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Detailed route log for SC 38
• South Carolina Department of Transportation county road maps for Marlboro,Dillon, Marion