Traffic
South Carolina Winter Travel: Why I-26 Road Salt May Not Be Enough
Columbia, SC – South Carolina drivers preparing to travel Interstate 26, Interstate 95 and Interstate 85 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even fr
By Grant Holloway · 2026-11-11T19:14:33.092Z
Columbia, SC – South Carolina drivers preparing to travel Interstate 26, Interstate 95 and Interstate 85 this Thanksgiving may be trusting something that cannot always protect them: road salt. Even freshly treated highways can become dangerously icy when temperatures plunge, creating a winter driving hazard that could catch motorists off guard in a state where prolonged freezing conditions are less common.
According to winter maintenance guidance from transportation agencies, traditional road salt becomes increasingly less effective as pavement temperatures approach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with its ice melting ability declining further as temperatures fall into the teens and single digits.
And that's where a common winter driving assumption can become dangerous.
Why Even Salted South Carolina Highways Can Freeze Road salt isn't magic. It lowers the freezing point of water, helping melt ice and reduce freezing under suitable conditions.
However, as pavement temperatures drop, the melting process slows considerably. Around 20 degrees, conventional salt works much more slowly than it does near freezing. Below 15 degrees, salt alone may struggle to melt ice quickly enough to improve traction.
For motorists traveling through Columbia in Richland County, Charleston in Charleston County, Spartanburg in Spartanburg County and Greenville in Greenville County, that limitation matters.
Major routes including I 26, I 95, I 85, I 77 and I 20 can remain slippery despite treatment, particularly on bridges, overpasses, elevated ramps and exposed stretches where freezing conditions develop.
Thanksgiving Travel Could Increase the Danger Thanksgiving falls Thursday, Nov. 26, bringing holiday travelers onto South Carolina's major interstate corridors connecting the Upstate, Midlands, Lowcountry and neighboring states.
If freezing rain, sleet or rapidly falling temperatures develop during the holiday travel period, even treated highways could become dangerously slick.
Bridges and overpasses deserve particular attention because they can cool faster than surrounding roadways, allowing ice to develop while nearby pavement remains wet.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation uses winter weather treatment and response strategies, but no treatment guarantees ice free pavement under every condition.
Before departing, drivers should check National Weather Service forecasts and South Carolina's 511 traveler information service for updated highway conditions.
The bottom line: A salted interstate is not necessarily a safe interstate. Motorists should reduce speed, increase following distances and remain alert for icy patches even when pavement appears clear.