Interstate 520 (I-520) is a

auxiliary Interstate Highway Auxiliary Interstate Highways (also called three-digit Interstate Highways) are a subset of highways within the United States' Interstate Highway System. The 323 auxiliary routes generally fall into three types: spur routes, which connect to or i ...

that encircles most of

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

and

North Augusta, South Carolina North Augusta is a city in Aiken and Edgefield counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina, on the north bank of the Savannah River. It lies directly across the river, and state border, from Augusta, Georgia. The population was 24,379 at the ...

as a three-quarter

beltway A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducin ...

around the western, southern, and eastern parts of the main part of the Augusta metropolitan area. It begins at

I-20 I20, I 20 or I-20 may refer to: * Interstate 20, a highway in the southeastern United States * I-20 (form), a United States government document that provides supporting information for the issuance of a student visa or change of status * I-20 (rap ...

and State Route 232 (SR 232) in the northern part of Augusta, Georgia, and ends at

in the northern part of North Augusta, South Carolina. I-520 is also known as Bobby Jones Expressway and the Deputy James D. Paugh Memorial Highway in Georgia and Palmetto Parkway in South Carolina. On the Georgia side, the road also carries the internal designation State Route 415 (SR 415).

Route description

, - , GA , , - , SC , , - , Total , The entire length of I-520 is part of the National Highway System, a system of routes determined to be the most important for the nation's economy, mobility, and defense.

Georgia

I-520 begins at an interchange with

(Carl Sanders Highway) and the internal designation of SR 402 in the northern part of Augusta. At this interchange, the roadway continues as SR 232, which takes on the Bobby Jones Expressway name. The Interstate travels to the south-southeast. After passing the Augusta Exchange shopping complex, east of Doctors Hospital, it has an interchange with

Wheeler Road Wheeler Road is a major highway in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia, traveling through the southeastern part of Columbia County and the northeastern part of Richmond County. For its entire length, it is an urban corridor o ...

and Marks Church Road. After a slight western jog, I-520 continues to the south-southeast and meets

Wrightsboro Road Wrightsboro Road is a major road in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia, traveling through the northwestern part of McDuffie County, the extreme northern part of Warren County, the southeastern part of Wilkes County, the so ...

, which leads to

Augusta Mall Augusta Mall is a two level super-regional shopping mall in Augusta, Georgia, United States. It is one of the largest malls in the state of Georgia, and it is the largest mall in the Augusta metropolitan area. The anchor stores are Dick's Sport ...

. About later is an interchange with U.S. Route 78 (US 78)/ US 278/ SR 10 (

Gordon Highway Gordon Highway is a major highway in the east-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia, traveling through the southern part of Columbia County and the northeastern part of Richmond County. It is named after John Brown Gordon, a Confederate ...

). The freeway curves to the southeast, passing by Glenn Hills Middle School and

Glenn Hills High School Glenn Hills Comprehensive High School is a public high school located in the south Augusta area of Augusta, Georgia, United States. It opened in 1967. Athletics The school mascot is a Spartan, and the school colors are Columbia blue and silver ...

, to an interchange with US 1/ SR 4 (Deans Bridge Road) and SR 540 (

Fall Line Freeway The Fall Line Freeway (FLF), also signed as State Route 540 (SR 540), is a highway designed to span the width of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia from Columbus, Georgia, Columbus at the Alabama state line to Augusta, ...

). It passes by a campus of

Augusta Technical College Augusta Technical College is a Public college, public technical school based in Augusta, Georgia. It was opened in 1961 and is part of the Technical College System of Georgia. The school has three campuses, one in Augusta, Georgia, Augusta (Rich ...

and the Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School, before curving to the east-southeast and meeting an interchange with Windsor Spring Road also with US 25/ SR 121 (Peach Orchard Road) and SR 555/ SR 565 ( Savannah River Parkway). After a curve to the east is an interchange with SR 56 (Mike Padgett Highway), which is east of Southside Elementary School and northeast of East-Central Regional Hospital. I-520 curves to the east-northeast and has an interchange with Doug Barnard Parkway (former State Route 56 Spur (SR 56 Spur)). The Interstate gradually curves to the northeast and has an interchange with Laney Walker Boulevard and SR 28 (Sand Bar Ferry Road). Just over later, it crosses the

Savannah River The Savannah River is a major river in the Southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and South Carolina. The river flows from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, ...

into

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

and the

city limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary (real estate), boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. ...

of North Augusta.

South Carolina

I-520 curves to the north-northwest, to an interchange with US 1/ US 78/ US 278 (only signed as "US 1"). The highway curves back to the north-northeast and has an interchange with South Carolina Highway 126 (SC 126; Clearwater Road). During a slight westward shift is an interchange with US 25/ SC 121 (Edgefield Road). Just north-northeast of there, I-520 meets its eastern terminus, another interchange with I-20. Augsky2

Named portions

In Georgia, I-520 is known as Bobby Jones Expressway for golfer Bobby Jones. In South Carolina, it is known as Palmetto Parkway for the

sabal palmetto ''Sabal palmetto'' (, ''Help:Pronunciation respelling key, SAY-bəl''), also known as cabbage palm, cabbage palmetto, sabal palm, blue palmetto, Carolina palmetto, common palmetto, Garfield's tree, and swamp cabbage, is one of 15 species of Saba ...

, the state tree. Between exits 2 and 3, the highway is known as the Deputy James D. Paugh Memorial Highway after a Richmond County sheriff's deputy who was killed at exit 3 when responding to reports of a gunman who was shooting at passing cars. I-520 loses its state route designation in South Carolina, as that state does not co-number its Interstates with state highway numbers.

History

The highway that would become I-520 was under

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

between May 1963 and January 1966 from its western terminus to just south of the US 1/SR 4 interchange in Augusta. Also, it was proposed to be an extension of SR 232, at least as far as US 25/SR 121. In 1966, the highway was open and signed as SR 232 from I-20 to Wrightsboro Road. It was under construction from US 1/SR 4 to Doug Barnard Parkway. In 1974, SR 232 was open from Wrightsboro Road to US 1/SR 4. In 1977, the highway was redesignated as I-520. The next year, it was open from US 1/SR 4 to Doug Barnard Parkway. In 1986, the highway was under construction from Doug Barnard Parkway to SR 28. In 1998, this segment was opened. The next year, it was proposed to be extended to the South Carolina state line. In 2004, this extension was opened. In 2010, the highway was extended to its current eastern terminus in the northern part of North Augusta. In January 2015, of I-520 were expanded to three lanes in each direction after work started in February 2012 for a cost of $33 million.

Exit list

References

External links

* *
Interstate Guide-Interstate 520

{{3di, 20 20-5 20-5 20-5 Transportation in Richmond County, Georgia Interstate 20-5 Transportation in Aiken County, South Carolina 5