Interstate 126 is a spur route

Spur route

A spur route is a short road forming a branch from a longer, more important route . A bypass or beltway is never considered a true spur route as it typically reconnects with the major road...

 of Interstate 26

Interstate 26 in South Carolina

Interstate 26 is a South Carolina Interstate highway running generally east–west to U.S. Route 17 in the Atlantic Coast at Charleston, South Carolina to Landrum in Spartanburg County.-Route description:...

, almost entirely within the city limits of Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

, South Carolina

South Carolina

South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It runs 3.1 miles (5 km) from I-26 just south of the junction with Interstate 20

Interstate 20 in South Carolina

Interstate 20 is a major thoroughfare cutting across the state of South Carolina, linking the state with important transportation and business hubs to the north, west and south, including Atlanta, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina , Savannah, Georgia and Washington, D.C...

, eastward across the Broad River

Broad River (Carolinas)

The Broad River is a principal tributary of the Congaree River, about 150 miles long, in western North Carolina and northern South Carolina in the United States. Via the Congaree, it is part of the watershed of the Santee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...

 (Timmerman Bridge), and into downtown Columbia terminating at US 21/US 176/US 321 (Huger Street). It is named the Lester Bates Freeway and is co-signed with US 76 for the entire route.

Route description

I-126 has unnumbered interchanges with Colonial Life Boulevard (westbound only), Greystone Boulevard, and US 21/US 176/US 321. The route is seven lanes from I-26 to Colonial Life Boulevard and eight lanes to US 21/US 176/US 321. Two lanes extend into Columbia signed as "I-126/US 76 EAST - Elmwood Avenue" but the freeway ends within the US 21/US 176/US 321 interchange.

Former business route

Westbound Elmwood Avenue (US 21/US 76/US 176/US 321) was also signed as Interstate 126 Business for several decades but this designation never appeared on maps. By 2006, only one sign retained the "Business Spur" designation and, by 2008, all such signs had been replaced by standard interstate signs.

Exit list

The entire route is in Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...

, Richland County

Richland County, South Carolina

Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The 2000 U.S. census recorded its population to be 320,677. In 2010, the U.S. Census Bureau recorded that its population had reached 384,504. It is the second most populous county in South Carolina, behind only Greenville...

.
{|class=wikitable
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|
|
|-
|, Augusta

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exit 107
|-
|
|
|-
|Colonial Life Boulevard to Bush River Road
|Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
|-
|Greystone Boulevard - Riverbanks Zoo

Riverbanks Zoo

The Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is a zoo, aquarium, and botanical garden located at 500 Wildlife Parkway, along the Saluda River, in Columbia, South Carolina, USA.Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums ....

|
|-
|
|Route numbers are signed on westbound Elmwood Avenue but not on eastbound I-126.
|-
|
|Exit signed as "I-126 / US 76 EAST" but the freeway ends within the interchange.