South Carolina legislators are moving forward with dual proposals to honor two presidents by designating portions of the state’s highway system in their names.
The South Carolina Senate gave final approval to a resolution requesting that the Department of Transportation name the future Interstate 73 as the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.” The proposed expansion of I-73 is slated to run through Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, and Horry counties, terminating in Myrtle Beach. While Governor Henry McMaster and leaders in Horry County have voiced support for the designation, the project’s funding remains a point of contention. Although Horry County voters approved a 2024 referendum providing $450 million for construction, the governor has excluded the project from his executive budgets for the last three years, citing a need for stronger local and federal financial commitments.
Simultaneously, the Senate unanimously approved a measure to name a section of Interstate 77 in Richland County after former President Barack Obama. Sponsored primarily by Democratic Senator Darrell Jackson, the proposal seeks to recognize Obama’s historical significance and the pivotal role South Carolina played in his 2008 presidential campaign. Jackson characterized the gesture as an inspirational tribute to a figure with deep ties to the state’s political history.
The Obama designation now moves to the House, where it faces a less certain future. Some Republican members have expressed opposition, suggesting that infrastructure should be named for figures who carried the majority of the state’s vote or that such honors should be reserved for those who are deceased.
Despite the differing political opinions surrounding both resolutions, the proposals represent a significant effort by the General Assembly to mark the legacies of both the 44th and 45th presidents within the Palmetto State.
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