I-26 lane reversal — exact extent and where reversed lanes are entered

Annex C to the SC Hurricane Plan (May 2026) specifies the Central Hurricane Region reversal as: "I-26 from the Nexton Crossover near Exit 197 westbound to I-77/I-26 interchange in Columbia (four lanes)." This is the operationally decisive fact for Mount Pleasant: the reversal does NOT begin in Charleston. Reversed-lane access starts at the Nexton Crossover near Exit 197 in Berkeley County, roughly 20+ miles inland of the I-526/I-26 interchange. Annex E states: "***Under certain conditions, access to the reversed lanes of I-26 will begin at the Nexton Crossover near Exit 197. Please follow evacuation instructions provided by law enforcement, official traffic control devices, and SCDOT 511***". SCEMD's Hurricane Traffic Management page states that when a reversal is ordered, SCDPS law enforcement with SCDOT crews close exits along the lanes to be reversed and the SC Highway Patrol uses troopers to "flush" the reversed lanes to confirm all exits are secure before the reversal begins; westbound traffic in lane one (inside left) enters the crossover near mile marker 197 just west of the Nexton Parkway interchange, while lanes two and three continue in the normal westbound lanes. SCDOT publishes an I-26 reversal exit-status map. The other reversals in the state plan are US 501 (two Horry County segments), US 21 in Beaufort, and US 278 off Hilton Head — none in Charleston County. Checked 2026-09-04.