Transportation Planning

US 78 (Charleston Highway) Corridor Study:

Aiken County Planning & Development is developing a Corridor Study to analyze potential improvements along the US 78 (Charleston Highway) Corridor between Airco Boulevard to Old Tory Trail, including along Woodward Drive. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church of Montmorenci, located at 44 Old Barnwell Road, Aiken, SC 29803. The purpose of the public meeting is to gather public input on existing issues and desired improvements along US 78 and intersecting roads.

• Study Area
• Traffic Operations Report
• Study Area Crash Maps
• Online Survey
• Public Meeting #1 - April 22, 2025, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm, First Baptist Church of Montmorenci, Fellowship Hall, 44 Old Barnwell Road, Aiken, SC 29803

Belvedere-Clearwater Road (SC 126) Corridor Improvement Project:

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) in coordination with the Augusta Regional Transportation Study Area (ARTS), proposes to widen SC 126 (Belvedere-Clearwater Road) for a distance of 1.87 miles from S-1790 (Old Sudlow Lake Road) to US 1/78 (Jefferson Davis Highway). The proposed project includes widening the existing two-lane roadway to a four-lane roadway with a center turn lane, bicycle lanes and sidewalks.
The reason for this updated outreach is to highlight the brief close and detour to reconstruct the culvert that crosses SC 126 between S-1372 (Northside Drive) and S-1615 (Woods Lane).

Please visit the project website for more information and project updates here.

SC 28 (Sand Bar Ferry Road) Bridge Rehabilitation Project

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) proposes to rehabilitate the westbound SC 28 (Sand Bar Ferry Road) bridge over the Savannah River in Aiken County. The existing bridge was built in 1968 and is in poor condition. The proposed project would correct functional and structural deficiencies of the bridge. A bridge closure of approximately 2-3 months is anticipated. During the closure, the detour would be approximately 8.6 miles.

The purpose of the project is to correct functional and structural deficiencies of the existing SC 28 (Sand Bar Ferry Road) bridge over the Savannah River.

**Structurally Deficient is a status used to describe a bridge that has one or more structural defects that require attention. This status does not mean the bridge is unsafe for vehicle traffic.**

Please visit the project website for more information and project updates here.

2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Update:

Federal planning regulations require that Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Metropolitan Transportation Plans (MTPs) be updated at least every five years, and that a twenty-year planning horizon be maintained. The Metropolitan Transportation Plan is a comprehensive, multimodal "blueprint" for transportation systems and services aimed at meeting the mobility needs of the metropolitan area through the next twenty years. Plans, projects, programs, and policies are proposed as transportation recommendations that reflect solutions to improve the overall quality of life for residents in the area.

ARTS MPO staff is working on development of the 2055 MTP which will be adopted in September 2025. The plan update involves several activities such as model development for performance measurement, socioeconomic data preparation, community outreach to collect input, program coordination with various agencies and organizations, and multi-modal planning (highway, transit, bike, pedestrian, freight), etc.

2055 MTP Project Website
Please visit the ARTS 2055 MTP project website at https://arts2055mtp.com for more information.

Online Survey

Click HERE to take the survey. We need your valuable input!

SC Highway 118 Intersection Analysis(Ongoing):

• Public Meeting #2(April 22, 2024)
• Press Release
• Study Area Crash History Map(2019-2022)
• Study Area Traffic Conditions
• Planned Development Location Map
• Study Area Recommendations
• Handout
• Online Survey

• Public Meeting #1(October 26, 2023)
• SC Highway 118 Intersection Analysis Public Meeting Presentation
• Map of Study Area
• Fact Sheet
• Traffic Crash Map
• Traffic Operations Map
• Planned Development Map

Whiskey Road Corridor Study:

• Whiskey Road Feasibility Study Corridor Evaluation
• Feasibility Study: Intersection of Whiskey Road(SC-19) and Chime Bell Church Road(S-816)
• Whiskey Road Feasibility Study Public Meeting Presentation
• Display Board 1
• Display Board 2
• Handout
• Comment Form

Bettis Academy Road Corridor Study:

• Bettis Academy Road Study Corridor Evaluation
• Feasibility Study: Intersection of Bettis Academy Road (S-144) and Whaley Pond Road (S-780)
• Bettis Academy Road Feasibility Study Public Meeting Presentation
• Displays

Meeting Minutes and Agendas: