Midlands drivers should look out for big shift on this interstate starting Wednesday

Drivers heading into or out of Lexington might notice a major traffic shift starting Wednesday morning.

The S.C. Department of Transportation has shifted traffic patterns on Highway 1/Augusta Road where it crosses over Interstate 20, part of a long-running interchange improvement on one of the main entry points to the town of Lexington.

The latest phase of the project started with overnight lane closures on both Augusta Road and the eastbound lanes of I-20 near the interchange. This allows the contractor to perform work to complete the traffic shift, DOT said in a news release.

The change will open a new on-ramp from Augusta Road onto I-20 eastbound, via a right-turn only lane from Augusta Road for drivers traveling from West Columbia toward Lexington. Traffic going in the opposite direction will continue to use the existing loop, DOT said.

A news release late Tuesday did not indicate how long the traffic shift will be in effect.