If you’ve driven through virtually any part of South Carolina, there’s a non-zero chance you’ve gone past construction zones dotted with bright orange cones. Lexington County is no different.

As the state’s population has boomed, and the county has added more than 100,000 people to its population in the past two decades, new housing and upgrades to roads have meant more construction. If you’re wondering why you’re seeing orange cones this year, look no further. Here are the projects that are set to begin construction, or wrap up in 2026:

Road diet planned for West Columbia’s Meeting Street

A project that’s been years in the making for West Columbia is set to begin construction this year, an architect for the project told city council Tuesday night.

The road diet planned for Meeting Street/U.S. 1, nearly from the Gervais Street bridge to Ninth Street, is set to reduce the number of lanes along the busy stretch of road from four lanes to two. City officials hope the changes will make the district – which has developed over the last decade to include a number of popular businesses, restaurants and bars – more walkable and accessible for those on foot or bike.

Plans include adding 63 street parking spaces, seven landscaped medians, more than 100 new street trees and six-foot wide sidewalks.

Before drivers start seeing construction begin, the city must get permits from the state’s transportation department and put the project out to bid. Charles Howell, an architect with the firm behind the project, told council Tuesday that the project is anticipated to begin construction by the end of 2026.

The project, which has been in talks since at least 2018, is expected to cost around $3.5 million and joins two other projects along U.S. 1 set to revitalize the busy road. In 2024, the major road saw a daily average of 12,300 cars, according to S.C. Department of Transportation traffic counts.

Courtyard by Marriott hotel set to open in downtown Lexington

Set to open in the heart of downtown Lexington, a four-story, 111-room hotel that’s been in the works for years is anticipated to be fully constructed this year, but likely won’t open until early 2027.

The Courtyard by Marriott hotel, planned for 116 E. Main St., is set to open in the spring of 2027, according to a sign on the property. But the building’s architect Craig Otto told The State he anticipates it’ll likely be open before that. Otto said he anticipates the project will be complete by the end of 2026 and open for business in early 2027.

The 61,000-square-foot building will sit in a long vacant lot in the heart of Lexington’s downtown, which has bolstered its food and entertainment offerings in recent years with new restaurants and bars like Ember, a steakhouse from prominent Midlands restaurateur Steve Cook, and Voodoo Brewing.

More parking, infrastructure improvements planned for West Columbia Mill Village

Another project in West Columbia set to begin construction: parking and infrastructure improvements in the city’s Mill Village neighborhood.

With $15 million set aside for the project, the city’s plans will overhaul the neighborhood that sits between State Street and Alexander Road, along the Congaree River. The project has been in the works since at least 2018, when the city council identified the Mill Village as an area in need of revitalization in its Redevelopment and Revitalization plans, and construction is set to begin this month.

The timeline for construction is 18 months, meaning, if all goes to plan, the improvements would be complete in the summer of 2027. Parts of the project will be completed in sequences and will be completed sooner than others. At some point during the project, all roads from Augusta Street to Court/Oliver Street, and within State Street and Alexander Road, will be closed temporarily while work is completed.

The city will upgrade and replace water lines, improve storm drains, repair and resurface roads and add street parking. Plans also include implementing one-way streets. City leaders say that the project will improve connectivity for drivers and pedestrians with more parking and sidewalks. The neighborhood doesn’t have many sidewalks and the few that it does are often used for parking.

Currently, the city has no plans to implement metered parking in the area, a spokesperson for the city told The State. The project includes nearly 14,000 linear feet of waterline improvements, 12,750 linear feet of roadway improvements and around 4,750 linear feet of stormwater improvements, according to city bid documents.

Road reroutes aimed at Columbia Avenue, downtown Chapin

As Lexington County has grown, Chapin, the once-rural lake town has grown with it. So has the need for newer, larger roads in the town. After adding lanes to Columbia Avenue, the main road that drivers take to get into town from Interstate 26, construction is close to beginning on projects that’ll impact the area’s downtown.

The Columbia Avenue/S-48 road widening project is set to add lanes, traffic signals, a roundabout and an entirely new road in the heart of Chapin. The new road will stretch east to west from Amicks Ferry Road, through both Lexington Avenue and Chapin Road, both with new traffic signals, and north to Columbia Avenue, connected to Stonewall Court with a roundabout.

The project “aims to alleviate traffic congestion and enhance road safety along the S-48 corridor,” according to the Central Midlands Council of Governments, or CMCOG. Construction is set to begin this spring.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation had initially allocated $32.7 million towards the improvements, but said at a Thursday CMCOG subcommittee meeting that it would need an additional $41.3 million to complete the construction.

Restaurants and bars on the horizon in Lexington County

Cayce’s city-proclaimed river arts district is set to get a wine and oyster bar this year right across from Brookland Cayce High School. George Robert’s Wine and Raw Bar, which serves a variety of seafood and features an extensive wine and cocktail menu at its Irmo location, will bring a fine dining option to the 1300 block of State Street.

In West Columbia, owners for a new wine bar teased an opening on the business’ social media in late December. Ikie Lu Record Club, from former Terra general manager Matt Catchpole, is set to open at 601 N. Lucas St. in a building that was formerly a Spanish-language Pentecostal church.

“Getting closer … stay tuned,” read an Instagram post from Ikie Lu Dec. 19.

Closer to downtown Lexington, Scoop of Heaven, a popular local ice cream shop with a location in Elgin already, plans to open a second location at 312 Columbia Ave. The ice cream shop is set to open this summer, owners announced on social media in December.

Caption:

Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com

Work continues on the road widening project on Leesburg Road.

January 11, 2026 | State, The (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Hannah Wade; Staff Writer | Page: 2A | Section: News