The start of construction of Interstate 26 in 1962 was a defining moment in the history of the North Area. Not only did it take traffic off the State roads, like Rivers Avenue, it changed the commercial community. In addition, the new thoroughfare forever divided traditional neighborhoods. These photographs open a window into a time when both traffic and life moved a little slower.
The construction of interstates in South Carolina commenced after President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The first stretches of Interstate 26 saw construction beginning in Columbia, SC just a year later in 1957. The highway was connected from Columbia to North Charleston by 1964.