Existed: 1939 – present Length 27.89 km | East end: US 278 in Bluffton Constructed 1939 | |
West end: US 321 west of Hardeeville Counties Jasper County, South Carolina, Beaufort County, South Carolina | ||
South Carolina Highway 46 (SC 46) is a 17.3-mile (27.8 km) long state highway in Beaufort and Jasper Counties in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina. It connects the rapidly growing communities of Bluffton and Hardeeville and serves as a parallel route to U.S. Highway 278.
Contents
Map of SC-46, South Carolina, USA
Route description
From the eastern terminus at an intersection with US 278, SC 46 travels southwest along Bluffton Road for about 1.6 miles, connecting the newer commercial areas of Bluffton with the original "square mile" or historic town center. SC 46 than makes a right onto May River Road, which it follows for approximately 8 miles until the traffic circle intersection with SC 170. SC 46 is cosigned with SC 170 for about 2.5 miles as it enters Jasper County. The Beaufort County portions of SC 46 are a designated state scenic byway, with marsh vistas and live oak canopies providing a quintessentially Lowcountry feel to the drive.
Shortly after crossing the county line, SC 46 leaves SC 170 and makes a right onto Plantation Road heading northwest to Hardeeville. Once in Hardeeville, SC 46 is known as Main Street, where it crosses under I-95 without a direct interchange. A frontage road though connects SC 46 with US 17 provides interstate access via exit 5. SC 46 crosses US 17 a mile after the I-95 overpass and immediately crosses a CSX railway crossing. Shortly thereafter, the route arrives at its western terminus upon reaching the high-speed intersection with US 321 in unincorporated West Hardeeville.
History
Established in 1939 as a renumbering of part of SC 33; from SC 5, near Hardeeville, to Bluffton then south to Brighton Beach. In 1956, SC 46 was rerouted at Bluffton north, replacing part of SC 462, then east to a ferry to Hilton Head Island; its old alignment to Brighton Beach became Alljoy Road (S-7-13). In 1957, the ferry to Hilton Head Island was replaced with bridges, leaving behind Folding Island Road Exd (S-7-242). By 1967, SC 46 was truncated at its current endpoint north of Bluffton; all east of point became part of US 278.
The first SC 46 was an original state route; from SC 41, in Moncks Corner, to SC 45, in Ferguson. In 1939, SC 46 was renumbered as part of SC 6. Today, much of old SC 46 is under Lake Moultrie.