US 52  < US 29 | Home | US 76>

From: S-10-3 Charleston (Charleston County) To: North Carolina State Line (Chesterfield County) Total Length: 161 miles   Nationally, US 52 runs from Charleston to the Canadian Border at Portal, ND.
ROUTE LOG S-10-3: 0 - 0 I-26 (exit 221): 0.4 - 0.4 US 17: 1 - 1.4 US 52 SPUR: 0.7 - 2.1 I-26 (exit 217): 1.5 - 3.6 US 78 EB: 1 - 4.6 SC 7: 0.5 - 5.1 SC 642: 0.2 - 5.3 I-526 (exit 18): 3 - 8.3 I-26 CONN: 5 - 13.3 US 78 WB: 1.1 - 14.4 Berkeley-Charleston Line: 1.2 - 15.6 US 176: 0.8 - 16.4 SC 6: 15 - 31.4 US 17 ALT SB: 0.9 - 32.3 SC 402: 1.5 - 33.8 US 17 ALT NB: 0.4 - 34.2 SC 45: 13.2 - 47.4 Williamsburg-Berkeley Line: 8.5 - 55.9 SC 375: 1.3 - 57.2 US 521: 4.9 - 62.1 SC 261 WB: 7.5 - 69.6 SC 261 EB, SC 527 SB: 2.4 - 72 SC 527 NB: 0.6 - 72.6 SC 512: 8.6 - 81.2 Florence-Williamsburg Line: 3.3 - 84.5 US 378 Bus, SC 341: 2.9 - 87.4 US 378: 1.3 - 88.7 SC 541: 5.6 - 94.3 US 301 SB, SC 327: 7.1 - 101.4 SC 51: 7.6 - 109 US 76, US 301 NB: 1.9 - 110.9 I-95 (exit 164): 3.2 - 114.1 Darlington-Florence Line: 1.6 - 115.7 US 52 Bus: 3.5 - 119.2 SC 340: 1.4 - 120.6 US 401 SB: 0.6 - 121.2 SC 34, SC 151: 0.3 - 121.5 US 52 Bus: 2.8 - 124.3 US 15 SB: 10.8 - 135.1 US 15 NB, US 401 NB: 2.1 - 137.2 Chesterfield-Darlington Line: 0.8 - 138 US 1 SB: 10.3 - 148.3 SC 9 WB: 2.3 - 150.6 US 1 NB, SC 9 EB: 1.4 - 152 NC STATE LINE: 9 - 161		Creation: Appeared in 1935 as a renumbering of US 601 from North Carolina to Florence and US 17 from Florence to Charleston. US 52 ran generally the way it does today, with mostly minor differences. By 1939, US 52 was rerouted onto new alignment from today's US 78 EB split to just past Durant Ave. The old route used today's Meeting St, S-10-39 and Piggly Wiggly Rd. In 1940, US 52 was routed around the west side of central Lake City as new alignment. It is unclear what the old route through Lake City became, but was primary routing. Presumably, this became US 52 Business in 1948. Today it is S-21-10, part of US 378 Business, and S. Church St. It appears that about 1948, US 52 was taken off King St (US 52-78 ended at US 17 Columbus St) and placed on Meeting St. (which had been US 52 ALT and later SC 525) instead. US 78 remained on King St. US 52 now ended at Meeting St. and US 17-701 Lee St. It appears that by 1952, US 52 was changed to a split Florence Routing. Initially, US 52 left Lucas St. at Coit Ave and dropped to US 76 and jogged east to Irby from there. Now, US 52 northbound used today's Irby to Lucas routing. Also in this timeframe, US 52 was bypassed around the west of Kingstree as new primary routing. The old route through town remained part of SC 261 and also S-45-8. 1969 was the last official map to explicitly show US 52 SB using Coit Ave in Florence, although many maps after that imply Coit Av as a primary route (US 52-76 CONN?). I know for certain US 52 was using its current routing in 1976. In 1971, US 52 was moved onto new alignment between Strawberry and Moncks Corner, avoiding Oakley. The old route became S-8-791. In 1974, US 52 was placed on new construction as a bypass west around Darlington, leaving behind US 52 Business. Improvements: US 52 was fully paved on designation except for Cheraw to North Carolina, which wasn't fully paved until 1939. The first piece of US 52 to be 4-lane was in place by 1939, from the US 78 EB split north to Durant Ave. in North Charleston. In 1941, US 52 was 4-laned out to US 176 Goose Creek. By 1946, US 52 was 4-laned from Florence to Darlington. Between 1960-63, US 52 was 4-laned on its US 1 multiplex, and also from Florence south to SC 51. Also, By 1963 US 52 was 4-lane below S-10-32 Spruill Ave. In 1968 or 1969, US 52 was 4-laned from US 176 north to Mount Holly. Also, US 52 was 4-laned from SC 51 to Effingham. In 1971 (dates of bridges), US 52 was 4-laned from Mount Holly to Moncks Corner. In 1973, US 52 was 4-laned from Kingstree to Lake City. In 1974, US 52 was 4-laned from Lake City to Effingham. Also in this timeframe, US 52 was 4-laned on the Darlington Bypass. In 1975, US 52 was 4-laned through Moncks Corner to the US 17 ALT NB split. In the early 1980s, US 52 was 6-laned from Durant Ave north to the I-26 CONN, and 8 laned from there to the US 78 WB split. In 1987 or 1988, US 52 was 4-laned from US 17 ALT north about halfway to Bonneau. By the early 1990s, US 52 was 6-laned through Goose Creek. Between 1998-2000, US 52 was 4-laned through Bonneau and St. Stephen. In 2001, US 52 was 4-laned from St. Stephen to Kingstree. In 2003, US 52 was 6-laned from US 78 WB to US 176. This makes US 52 4-lane continuous from the US 78 EB split to north of Darlington. Maps show US 52 as 4-lane between Spruill Ave and US 78 but 95% of this is still 2-lane. Comment: US 52 serves as a major route from Charleston to Florence, carrying a number of 60 MPH speed limit zones. US 52 is signed as E-W and N-S in various parts of the state.

BUSINESS From: Darlington (Darlington County) To: Darlington (Darlington County) Total Length:4 miles
ROUTE LOG US 52: 0 - 0 SC 34: 1.5 - 1.5 US 52, US 401: 2.5 - 4		Creation: Appeared in 1974, running as it does now. It was mainline US 52 prior to this. Adjustments: None Improvements: Fully paved from inception; multilane east of SC 34. Comment: US 52 Business for Darlington uses Main St. US 52 Business was once part of SC 41 and was the initial US 601 as well.

SPUR From: Charleston (Charleston County) To: Broad St. Charleston (Darlington County) Total Length:~3 miles
ROUTE LOG US 52: 0 - 0 END US 52 SPUR: 3 - 3		Creation: Appeared in 1980 or 1981 as new primary routing, running as it does now. It was once US 52 ALT prior to this. Adjustments: None Improvements: Fully paved from inception; multilane on all of it. Comment: US 52 SPUR provides an alternative route to get to Historic Downtown Charleston. US 52 SPUR has never been posted in the field as anything. Until 2005, there was a partial connection to US 17.

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