South Carolina Highway 3

South Carolina Highway 3. It is a state highway in the Upstate region of South Carolina, providing a significant north-south transportation corridor. The route traverses portions of Spartanburg County and Cherokee County, connecting several communities to the major interstate network. Its alignment serves both local traffic and regional travel between North Carolina and the Interstate 85 corridor.

Route description

South Carolina Highway 3 begins at the North Carolina state line north of Gaffney, where it continues north as North Carolina Highway 18. Proceeding south, it passes through rural areas of Cherokee County before entering the city limits of Gaffney. Within Gaffney, it follows Limestone Street and passes near iconic landmarks like the Gaffney Peachoid and Limestone College. South of the city, the highway crosses the Broad River and enters Spartanburg County. Its southern terminus is at a junction with U.S. Route 29 and South Carolina Highway 9 in the community of Cowpens, near the historic Cowpens National Battlefield.

History

The highway was originally established as part of the early state highway system in the 1920s. Its initial routing was largely defined by existing county roads and important local connectors between Gaffney and Spartanburg County. Significant realignments occurred in the mid-20th century, particularly around Gaffney, to improve traffic flow as the region developed. The construction of Interstate 85 in the 1960s, which runs parallel to the west, altered the highway's regional traffic role but it remains a vital local artery. The route has seen incremental improvements over the decades, including bridge replacements over the Broad River and widening projects within Cherokee County.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Upstate South Carolina. {| class="wikitable" |- ! County ! Location ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- | rowspan="6" | Cherokee | | 0.0 | 0.0 | North Carolina Highway 18 north – Shelby | Northern terminus at the North Carolina state line |- | Gaffney | | | US 29 (Cherokee Avenue) / SC 11 east – Blacksburg, Spartanburg | Western terminus of SC 11 concurrency |- | | | | SC 11 west (East Frederick Street) / SC 150 south (East Robinson Street) – Chesnee | Eastern terminus of SC 11 concurrency; northern terminus of SC 150 |- | | | | SC 105 (East Buford Street) – Union | |- | rowspan="2" | Spartanburg | Cowpens | | | US 29 / SC 9 – Spartanburg, Gaffney | Southern terminus |- | colspan="6" | 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
Concurrency terminus |} Category:State highways in South Carolina