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U.S. Route 501 north - Conway to Marion
U.S. Route 501 pushes northbound through its interchange with the western terminus of South Carolina Highway 22 (Conway Bypass). From here, US 501 has already passed through Conway itself on its trek from Myrtle Beach, where it has its south end. SC 22 leads 29 miles northeast to U.S. Route 17 near North Myrtle Beach. On the right side of the highway at this spot sit a hurricane evacuation route sign as well as a pointer to Interstate 95, which sits a great distance inland from the coast and still significantly here. (10-5-2023)
Horry Road, which runs north of SC 22 for several miles, crosses over US 501 here. Just to the west, it becomes Brunson Spring Road. (10-5-2023)
Access to Horry Road and Brunson Spring from US 501 is from a separate connector roadway. (10-5-2023)
These crossings are followed by a US 501 reassurance shield. (10-5-2023)
From the green sign at right, Aynor is five miles ahead, and Marion, the same-name seat of neighboring Marion County, is 25 miles away by way of a short section of US 501 Business. (10-5-2023)
For the time being, the speed limit is 60 miles per hour, and the route itself is a four-lane divided highway with a grassy median. (10-5-2023)
The route dips downward before intersecting Sparkman Road. (10-5-2023)
There is then an intersection with Pine Oaks Farm Road, which proceeds to run parallel to US 501. (10-5-2023)
Honeysuckle Drive is the next side road intersected. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The highway now approaches a crossroads with Ridge Road (left) and William Nobles Road (right). Photo taken 10-05-2023.
60 MPH is still the speed limit. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The route next intersects Benjamin Road. Meanwhile, billboards are appearing for Sparky's country store outside of Marion. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Up ahead on the right sits an Horry County recycling and solid waste center. (10-5-2023)
Slightly further ahead, there are orange signs indicating road work (in this case, paving) that was ongoing when these photos were taken. (10-5-2023)
As the route's two carriageways prepare to merge together, it passes under Julius H. Goodson Avenue, which circles around the south and west sides of Aynor. (10-5-2023)
The speed limit drops to 45 as US 501 enters the town of Aynor. (10-5-2023)
A traffic signal at Jordanville Road and 8th Avenue approaches. (10-5-2023)
8th Avenue, at right, runs north-south through the middle of Aynor. (10-5-2023)
The next traffic light is at Frye Road (left) and Main Street (right). (10-5-2023)
Now on the western edge of town, US 501 nears a junction with South Carolina Highway 319. (10-5-2023)
Providing access to the area Cool Springs Business Park, SC 319 (Elm Street) runs 13 miles southeast to U.S. Route 701 at Homewood, north of Conway, along the way meeting SC 22 at an interchange. (10-5-2023)
The speed limit increases back to 55 as US 501 leaves Aynor. (10-5-2023)
The new pavement ends about half a mile past municipal limits, and the center left-turn lane once again gives way to a grassy median. (10-5-2023)
Moderate canopies of trees sit alongside each carriageway of the highway. (10-5-2023)
Further along, the route intersects Zion Road (left) and Tobacco Leaf Lane (right). (10-5-2023)
The highway eases downward, then curves to the right. (10-5-2023)
The route remains a designated hurricane evacuation route at this point. (10-5-2023)
The highway prepares to intersect Pee Dee Road North and South at another crossroads. (10-5-2023)
The Pee Dee intersection is augmented by a set of overhead flashers. (10-5-2023)
Shortly afterward, US 501 crosses the Little Pee Dee River via the Ernest Anderson Bridge. (10-5-2023)
At the end of the bridge, US 501 has departed Horry County and is now in Marion County. (10-5-2023)
The highway proceeds to have four bridges over swampland along the west bank of the Little Pee Dee in quick succession. (10-5-2023)
The last of those bridges is here. (10-5-2023)
Surrounded by trees, the highway has a gradual curve to the left. (10-5-2023)
There is one more swamp bridge as the route prepares to emerge from the trees, after passing the River Pines development. (10-5-2023)
As most of the trees clear out, US 501 nears an interchange with the mainline of South Carolina Highway 41. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
The city of Marion is nine miles straight ahead via US 501. SC 41 goes north 10 miles to Mullins and south 18 miles to Johnsonville in Florence County, during an overlap with SC 51. SC 41 overall runs 121 miles beginning just east of Charleston to the North Carolina line, then continuing as NC 41 for another 141 miles eventually ending up west of New Bern. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
SC 41 crosses over US 501 here. Photo taken 10-05-2023.
Traffic from either direction of SC 41 enters northbound US 501 at right. (10-5-2023)
After SC 41, there is finally a proper Marion County welcome sign, at right. (10-5-2023)
The speed limit now decreases from 60 to 50 miles per hour, and another center left-turn lane appears. (10-5-2023)
On that note, US 501 enters Rains, which has a history as a Seaboard Air Line railroad stop. (10-5-2023)
The highway nears a bridge over that railroad, now a CSX facility, here. (10-5-2023)
The route crosses the railroad, then goes downhill and approaches a leftward curve. (10-5-2023)
Within the curve is a crossroads with Grady Road. (10-5-2023)
Another set of flashers sits at Grady Road. (10-5-2023)
The speed limit is still 50 miles per hour. (10-5-2023)
The highway prepares to intersect Chippenham Road as it approaches Sparky's. (10-5-2023)
The gas pumps of Sparky's are at right. (10-5-2023)
The highway now forges on toward the Marion hub through open land. (10-5-2023)
The land soon flattens out as more trees appear. (10-5-2023)
The speed limit again decreases to 50 up ahead. (10-5-2023)
Just ahead, where US 501 bears northeast to bypass Marion to the east, keeping straight takes one toward Interstate 20 west of Florence, while going right to remain on US 501 eventually leads to I-95. Both are continuations of the hurricane evacuation route mentioned twice above. (10-5-2023)
Straight ahead at the split is US 501 Business, the southern half of which also constitutes a portion of SC 41 Alternate. These two highways themselves leave the corridor after less than half a mile to go north into downtown Marion, and the through corridor becomes South Carolina Highway 576, connecting with U.S. Route 76 to the west. The control cities for US 501 north are now Dillon and, via South Carolina Highway 38, Bennettsville. (10-5-2023)
The routes diverge just behind this sign gantry. (10-5-2023)
An exit sign is located in the gore of the northbound US 501 offramp. US 501 Business immediately intersects Foxboro Road at a traffic signal, then meets the east end of SC 576. (10-5-2023)