York County just grabbed a huge chunk of cash for one of Rock Hill’s most complained-about choke points, setting the stage for a long-awaited overhaul of the I-77 Exit 82 interchange.
County officials say the State Infrastructure Bank has pledged about $62 million toward the roughly $106 million project. Designers with the South Carolina Department of Transportation are now sharpening plans to unwind the messy tangle where Cherry Road and Celanese Road both dump traffic onto the interstate. If everything goes the county’s way, right-of-way work could kick off in 2027, with construction starting as early as 2029, although federal approvals still have to fall into place first.
Why Exit 82 Snarls Traffic
Two of Rock Hill’s busiest surface streets feed into the same Exit 82 ramps, a setup county engineers say practically guarantees daily backups on both local roads and I-77 itself. Commuters told reporters the afternoon rush can feel “chaotic” and “nerve-racking,” and York County’s assistant engineer of transportation has described the work as a necessary reconfiguration to pull those traffic streams apart. That local perspective and the county’s update on funding and timing were reported by WBTV.
Where The Money Is Coming From
The Exit 82 redo is being pieced together as a multi-party funding package. County officials have combined State Infrastructure Bank dollars with a local match and additional state transportation money to get the plan off the ground. The $106 million price tag for the interchange overhaul has been cited in regional coverage and planning documents, along with earlier notes about a local contribution to corridor upgrades. WSOC-TV documented the project estimate and prior local commitments.
A Long Road To Get Here
York County has been chasing I-77 fixes for years. The county applied to the State Infrastructure Bank in the mid-2010s and secured formal SIB approvals for I-77 corridor projects in 2020. Earlier this year, county leaders ran an intergovernmental agreement with the SIB and SCDOT through council to nail down terms for two interchange projects, including Exit 82. That timeline appears in SIB and SCDOT commission materials and in local council records that trace how Exit 82 moved through the regional planning pipeline. SCTIB/SCDOT documents and county meeting coverage lay out those approvals and agreements.
Timeline, Approvals And What’s Next
County staff say the next big hurdle is federal design approval. Federal Highway Administration sign-off would clear the way for right-of-way work and, eventually, construction. York County’s assistant engineer told reporters the county is hoping to secure FHWA approval within months, then roll into right-of-way acquisition in 2027 and aim for construction in the back half of the decade. Those target dates and the engineer’s comments were reported by WBTV.
What Residents And Leaders Are Watching
Residents who sit in Exit 82 traffic every day are eager for relief, but local watchdogs and county observers are keeping a close eye on the budget and schedule. They point to rising costs on nearby transportation projects and to existing county debt tied to past interchange work. Critics have warned about the risk of shuffling local dollars among projects and have urged officials to stage construction carefully so drivers are not subjected to repeated rounds of disruption. Reporting by Palmetto Voice has outlined those fiscal concerns for residents and decision-makers.
County and state officials say they will share design updates and public meeting dates as approvals come through. With the new funding promise in hand, York County and SCDOT say they finally have a clearer path to tackle one of the most notorious pinch points on I-77.
