In 2022, Volkswagen launched Scout Motors, which is focused on building off-road electric and hybrid utility vehicles and pickup trucks. In March 2023, Scout determined that its new manufacturing facility would be in Blythewood, South Carolina, about 20 miles north of the state capital, Columbia. In response, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and general contractor Lane Construction Corporation have taken on the I-77 New Exit 26 Interchange and Connecting Roads project to improve connectivity in the area.
South Carolina’s population and manufacturing industry have grown significantly over the past decade or so. Growth in these areas often goes hand in hand, increasing the need for supporting infrastructure.
“We committed to this project to improve connectivity to the Scout facility, so their goods and services can get in and out of the facility,” said Alex Cartledge, SCDOT Construction Manager for Alternative Delivery.
In addition to serving the future Scout Motors manufacturing facility, the project will support regional growth by improving connectivity and enhancing mobility.
The area already experiences significant traffic, with average daily traffic on I-77 currently at 39,300 vehicles and projected to reach 48,200 by 2046. Trucks make up 21 percent of the traffic.
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Some growth will be driven by the opening of the new manufacturing facility.
“The Scout Motors facility will bring more than 4,000 new jobs to the area as well as offer a $4.3 billion annual economic boost to South Carolina,” Lane Project Director Eric Pruemer said. “The Scout facility has accelerated many regional developments, prompting significant state investments in nearby infrastructure, railroad spur lines, and utilities.”
To meet the project’s goals, SCDOT has developed a wide-ranging scope of work. Project elements include:
- Installing four bridges and five ramps
- Relocating Community Road and U.S. 21 to accommodate the new interchange
- Constructing a new east-west connector road from U.S. 21 to I-77 and to the Scout facility
- Improving an adjacent interchange at U.S. 21
- Adding one lane on northbound I-77 from south of the proposed interchange to Blythewood Road
- Constructing 50,000 square feet of mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls
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According to the SCDOT website, the project includes “a connector road from the proposed Exit 26 to U.S. 21. Portions of U.S. 21 are proposed [to] be relocated to create a grade-separated crossing for a new Norfolk Southern Railroad spur line that will serve the Scout facility. A new railroad bridge over I-77 is proposed to provide rail access to the west side of I-77. In addition, widening of northbound I-77 from south of the proposed interchange to Blythewood Road as well as improvements along Community Road are planned.”
The team will also be repaving the existing highway along the entire project length, which is 5.5 miles. The lane extension spans 2.5 miles, and the new interchange will be 120 feet wide.
Pruemer provided some of the significant numbers related to the project:
- 76 acres of new right of way cleared
- 690,000 cubic yards of dirt moved
- 135,000 tons of asphalt pavement placed
- 30,000 cubic yards of concrete pavement poured
- Owner: South Carolina Department of Transportation
- General Contractor/Engineer: The Lane Construction Corporation, Charlotte, North Carolina
- Designer: RK&K, Baltimore, Maryland
- Other Contractors: Bagwell Fence Co., Spartanburg, South Carolina; Bonn-J Contracting Inc. of Florida, Chuluota, Florida; Palmetto Corp., Conway, South Carolina; Gosalia Concrete Constructors Inc., Tampa, Florida; J Moore Electrical Contractors Inc., Swansea, South Carolina; Richardson Construction, Columbia, South Carolina
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Construction work began on the project in March 2025. The first interim completion milestone required the team to reopen Community Road by March 31, 2026.
“We’re not afraid of aggressive schedules,” Cartledge said. “We know time is the most important resource we have and put an emphasis on completing things quicker than we have in the past, especially when it comes to special projects.”
“This project was a fast-paced, high-profile project that Lane excels at with our ability to coordinate with multiple contractors and stakeholders while maintaining an accelerated schedule through experienced crews and proactive problem identification and resolution capacities,” Pruemer added.
The team met the deadline and opened the road back to the public one week ahead of schedule. Over the course of the 11 months of construction, Pruemer said that the team “closed the existing road, demoed the existing roadway, relocated the roadway to a new alignment including performing approximately 100,000 cubic yards of earthwork, installed drainage, constructed three MSE walls, placed asphalt pavement, and set bridge beams.”
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“The biggest key to meeting the deadline was the open and clear communication between all the stakeholders,” Cartledge said. “We spent lots of time on the site, and everyone was committed and fully bought in, doing whatever was necessary to get the work done safely and efficiently, including ensuring the right resources were available and making quick decisions.”
Over the course of the project, the team performed a significant amount of night work, including paving, rehabilitation, and barrier wall installation.
On I-77, the team could shut down lanes at night but not during the day. There was no reduction in the speed limit through the project area. Work occurred around live traffic, and Cartledge called maintenance of traffic (MOT) a top priority for the project.
“We wanted to ensure traffic could move through safely and efficiently, and the crew would have a safe working area. ... We widened the inside shoulder of the interstate and shifted the existing travel lanes away from the work area, which is MOT Stage 2,” Cartledge said. “With traffic relocated to MOT Stage 2 condition, we also installed a barrier wall on both the inside and outside shoulders to provide safe access for crews to complete their work.”
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“Creative traffic control planning has allowed for the elimination of the I-77 northbound Stage 3 traffic shift, which has allowed asphalt work to begin earlier than originally scheduled in 2026,” Pruemer added.
Lane Construction, which is headquartered in neighboring North Carolina, has a long-term presence in the Carolinas. The more than 135-year-old company specializes in large, complex civil infrastructure projects and has partnered with SCDOT many times over the years.
Lane is concurrently working on the I-20 bridge replacement over the Wateree River in Camden, South Carolina — a 30-minute drive away from Blythewood. Pruemer noted that this has been beneficial, as they are able to share project resources and create synergy between jobs.
“The project teams have worked exceptionally well together, and both have an open-door policy,” Cartledge said. “The project team is talking every day in real time and has weekly progress meetings, so our communication and coordination have been a great asset.”
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Lane’s inclusion of a subcontractor for earthwork, which reduces their bottom line and requires additional coordination, impressed Cartledge.
“They could have elected to use their own forces and implement a different construction sequence, but instead recognized the schedule benefits of hiring a subcontractor,” he said. “The decision to let a subcontractor build this portion of the project while Lane’s forces focused on the Community Road relocation work demonstrated their continued commitment to prioritizing the construction schedule.”
“We were able to accelerate a large amount of earthwork required for Scout Motors Drive, four interstate ramps, and the U.S. 21 relocation by strategically partnering with other contractors to perform work ahead of schedule,” Pruemer said. “Lane anticipates achieving substantial completion ahead of schedule and will maintain an aggressive schedule through the end of the year.”
The project is scheduled for completion in June 2027 and is currently on schedule and within budget. The state is providing all of the funding for the $200 million project, which includes the new interchange, railroad bridge, and connection roads. Both Cartledge and Pruemer credit open communication and coordination with other stakeholders for keeping the project on budget.
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As the new Scout Motors manufacturing facility takes shape, the I-77 New Exit 26 Interchange and Connecting Roads project will make the area more hospitable for economic growth and development by facilitating safe, efficient connectivity across the region.
