Current and historic US highway endpoints in Georgetown, SC
|
1932-present
|
 |
|
US 521 was commissioned in 1932; its south end has always been in Georgetown. US 701 was also commissioned in 1932, but as you can see on this historic map, that route did not always terminate at Georgetown. Rather, it historically continued south to Charleston (and later US 17 was rerouted along the same road):
|
c. 1956, Gousha
|
That was actually the case for 60 years. However, US 701 was truncated to Georgetown in 1992, and although the current south terminus of that route is not at the same exact location as US 521's endpoint, the two junctions are only one block apart. Given that, and given the fact that one route is signposted from the terminus of the other route, it makes sense to discuss both endpoints on the same page. And it is appropriate to start with this excellent photo that captures both endpoints in the same frame:
|
Dienhart, Jun. 2024
That was looking northeast on Fraser Street, which carries northbound US 17. In the foreground, the south beginning of US 521 is to the left on Highmarket Street. And one block in the distance, US 17 curves right to join Church Street, while straight ahead on Fraser is the south beginning of US 701. So, if US 521 begins to the left, why does the sign assembly say "TO US 521"? It was an installation mistake: the "TO" tab was actually intended to be positioned above the "ALT" tab. That way, the assembly would indicate that US 521 begins to the left, and also that direction is how drivers get to US 17A. This next photo shows an assembly that replaced a structurally-identical one which was there at least through 2000. It was installed correctly...
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006
|
...but for some reason, this more recent replacement erroneously suggests that Highmarket is actually US 17A, leading TO US 521:
|
Karners, Apr. 2014
|
Continuing north on Fraser for one more block, northbound US 17 continues by turning right on Church, while straight ahead on Fraser is the south beginning of US 701:
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006 (slightly different as of 2014)
|
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006 (essentially the same as of 2014)
|
Dienhart, Jun. 2024
|
|
If one were to continue straight on Fraser, they would encounter the first northbound US 701 confirming marker about a half-mile ahead, at the point where Black River Road comes in. If we were to then turn around and head back south on Fraser to the intersection with Church/Exchange, there was no mention of the fact that straight ahead on Fraser is southbound US 17, nor that northbound US 17 should turn left on Church. The south terminus of US 521 is one block ahead, or travelers could take a shortcut by turning right on Exchange Street, but there was no mention of that route, either; only a sign pointing out that US 17A begins to the right on Exchange:
|
Karners, Apr. 2014
|
Turner, May 2023
|
In the background is a side-view of a large sign assembly. That is for the benefit of drivers heading west on Church, and in this next section we will get a better view of it, because now we are going to approach these same terminus points from the opposite perspective: heading southbound on US 17.
|
In the Myrtle Beach area, US 17 runs quite close to the Atlantic shoreline, but at Pawleys Island it begins to move inland a bit. Approaching Georgetown, US 17 turns due east to cross the Waccamaw and Great Pee Dee rivers, and upon entering the city, southbound US 17 actually curves to the northwest for about a mile on Church. That curve is shown in this image:
|
Karners, Jan. 2017
|
US 17 angles to the right on Church, but one can also make a left turn there, heading southwest on St. James Street. Starting in 1968, that was the south beginning of US 521 for a period of about three decades. Traffic went for two blocks on St. James, then turned northwest again on Highmarket. US 521 junctioned US 17 again at Fraser (as we will discuss more below). But for now, we'll continue along southbound US 17/northwestbound Church. After about 3/4ths mile, drivers wanting to head north on US 701 could use Black River Road as a shortcut, but there is no signage directing them to do that. Instead, we continue ahead on Church, which begins to curve west, and just prior to its junction with Fraser, overhead signage has long been posted there:
Prince, 2000
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006
|
Turner, May 2023
|
Signage at the time of that 2000 photo had no route shields, and the left panel indicated that US 701 continued south of Georgetown (even though that had not been the case since 1992). It is interesting that, sometime prior to 2006, the right panel ("Alt US 17 to Walterboro") was replaced, but the panel on the left was not replaced at the same time, even though that was the panel that contained erroneous information. Then in 2015 both panels were replaced, and now there is no longer any indication that US 701 continues farther south. However, US 701 does go north from the upcoming intersection -- its south beginning is to the right on Fraser -- yet that movement is not referenced at all on the sign bridge...
|
...but US 701 is finally referenced on the sign assembly that is visible in the distance; that is shown close-up in these next photos:
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006 (unchanged as of 2014)
|
Dienhart, Jun. 2024
|
(That same assembly is visible in the background of the Alternate US 17 photos above.) US 701 begins to the right on Fraser, while southbound US 17 continues by making a left turn onto Fraser. But heading that direction (left on Fraser, continuing on southbound US 17) there was no signage noting that US 521 begins to the right on Highmarket...
|
|
...so instead let's continue straight ahead on Exchange Street, which marks the north beginning of US 17A. About two blocks in that direction, Exchange ends at Highmarket, and US 17A traffic is to make a slight right turn, joining US 521. The first US 521 confirming marker is just past that junction:
|
Karners, Apr. 2014
|
Turner, May 2023
|
The two routes are overlapped for about ten miles, where they diverge at Sampit. These next photos were taken looking the opposite direction (east on Highmarket). US 521 ends at its junction with US 17, which is the intersection ahead (Fraser):
Prince, Oct. 2000
|
Karners, Apr. 2014
|
Dienhart, Jun. 2024
|
|
Formerly that junction was signed properly (first photo); it is unclear why the more recent replacement (shown in the second and third photos) was changed to "TO US 17", when Fraser is US 17... as the signage ahead correctly attests:
|
Karners, Apr. 2014
|
As noted previously: from 1968-2000, the US 521 designation continued straight ahead on Highmarket (although there may not have been any signs to that effect east of Fraser). US 521 turned left on St. James, and then terminated at US 17 on the east edge of town.
|
|
We will wrap up by taking a look at signage for traffic heading east on Exchange at Fraser. This is the north end of US 17A, and the south beginning of US 701 is to the left on Fraser:
|
Cozart/Nitzman, Nov. 2006 (essentially unchanged as of 2014)
|
Turner, May 2023
|
The 1992 AASHTO minutes specify that US 701 was truncated to its junction with US 521, but signage in the field has always indicated that US 701 ends at its junction with US 17.
Research and/or photo credits: Justin Cozart; Paul Dienhart; Karin and Martin Karner; Alex Nitzman; Adam Prince; Mike Roberson; Dale Sanderson; Charles Turner
Page (in its original form) created 2000;
last updated Jun. 22, 2024.
last updated Jun. 22, 2024.
