Current and historic US highway endpoints in Georgetown, SC
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 with US 17 to Charleston:
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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.
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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 Street. That curve is shown in this image:
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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 30 years. Traffic went for two blocks on St. James, then turned northwest again on Highmarket Street. US 521 junctioned US 17 again at Fraser Street (as we will discuss more below). But for now, let us 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:
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:
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Southbound US 17 continues by making a left turn onto Fraser, while US 701 begins to the right on Fraser. Straight ahead on Exchange Street is the north beginning of US 17A. In about two blocks, Exchange intersects Highmarket Street and US 521, the terminus for which is just one block to the left on Fraser. But if we were to go that direction (left on Fraser, or southbound US 17) there was no signage noting that US 521 begins to the right on Highmarket. So let's see what kind of signage exists heading the opposite direction (north on Fraser/northbound US 17). This first photo shows an assembly that replaced a structurally-identical one which was there at least through 2000...
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As noted previously: starting in 1968, US 521 also existed to the right on Highmarket. Through the 1990s, US 521 was signed both directions on Highmarket from Fraser (although there may not have been any US 521 signage east of that junction). Apparently that segment was truncated around 2000, when US 521 signage from Fraser began pointing only to the left on Highmarket. Ever since then, the south beginning of US 521 is to the left (despite what is shown on the current sign). About two blocks in that direction, US 17A comes in via Exchange Street, and joins US 521 along Highmarket. The first US 521 confirming marker is just past that junction:
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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 Street). US 521 ends at its junction with US 17, which is the intersection ahead (Fraser):
Formerly that junction was signed properly (first photo); it is unclear why the more recent replacement (shown in the second and third photo) was changed to "TO US 17", when Fraser is US 17... as the signage ahead correctly attests:
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From 1968-2000, the US 521 designation continued straight ahead on Highmarket. It turned left on St. James, and then terminated at US 17 on the east edge of town.
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Now, if we resume heading 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:
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 the aforementioned Black River Rd. comes in. If we were to then turn around and head back south to the intersection with Church/Exchange, there was no "End US 701" sign, nor any reference to US 17 or US 521. Instead, only a sign pointing out that US 17A begins to the right on Exchange:
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(In the background is a side-view of a large sign assembly; we already viewed that above, the one for the benefit of drivers heading west on Church.) Heading south at the end of US 701, 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 Street. The south terminus of US 521 is one block ahead, or travelers could take a shortcut by turning right on Exchange, but there was no mention of that route, either.
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.
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: |
Research and/or photo credits: Justin Cozart; Karin and Martin Karner; Alex Nitzman; Adam Prince; Mike Roberson; Dale Sanderson; Charles Turner
Page (in its original form) created 2000;
last updated May 28, 2023.
last updated May 28, 2023.