Interstate 585 - History

History

This highway was once connected to Interstate 85 from opening until ca. 1994. That year, I-85 was moved north to bypass Spartanburg, leaving I-585 an orphan, segregated from the rest of the Interstate Highway system. There is a project underway to extend I-585 along U.S. 176 to I-85's new location. The ramps from I-585 Southbound to Business Loop 85 North and South opened on October 9, 2006. The Ramp from I-585 Northbound to Business Loop 85 Northbound is open and the Southbound Business Loop 85 entrance is open. The ramp from Business Loop 85 Southbound to I-585 Northbound is open (it is now a large fly-over ramp that overpasses the East Campus Boulevard exit), and the ramp from Business Loop 85 Southbound to I-585 Southbound has been re-opened as well.

The ramp from Business Loop 85 Northbound to I-585 Southbound is open, and there is no ramp from Business Loop 85 Northbound to I-585 Northbound. The entrance from I-85 Business Loop Southbound to I-585 Northbound adds a lane to I-585 Northbound traffic just in front of the USCU Campus that eventually turns into the "exit only" for I-85 Bypass Northbound. Currently, I-585/US 176 remains a freeway until the interchange with the I-85 bypass. This interchange is not a freeway interchange. Some cars on I-585 must cross oncoming traffic in order to access a certain direction of I-85 Bypass, but the I-85 Bypass traffic has only a normal diamond interchange.

There also is a traffic signal right before this interchange, which represents the official end of this freeway. The ramps connecting East Campus Boulevard, the main road of the USCU campus, have been upgraded to meet Interstate Highway standards and are now open, connecting campus traffic with I-585 North and Southbound. The Valley Falls Road Interchange has also been completed and all ramps leading to and from I-585 North and Southbound are open. The Northbound I-585 entrance from East Campus Boulevard turns into the "exit only" for Valley Falls Road.