South Carolina Highway 291


South Carolina Highway 291, locally known as Pleasantburg Drive, is a South Carolina state highway that runs as a major commercial artery for the eastern sections of Greenville, South Carolina in Greenville County, South Carolina. This highway runs by Greenville Technical College, the Greenville Downtown Airport, and Bob Jones University. The road south of U.S. Highway 276, Laurens Road, is called South Pleasantburg Drive, while the road north of Laurens Road is called North Pleasantburg Drive.

Route description

The road begins at US 25 at Augusta Road, heading north as South Pleasantburg Drive, a six lane road, passing by businesses before an intersection over Interstate 85. The road continues east as a commercial road, through many business in Greenville, passing by Greenville Technical College's Barton Campus and the former McAlister Square Shopping Center to the east of the road. At an interchange with US 276, the road becomes North Pleasantburg Drive, continuing north, passing the Greenville Downtown Airport and the Carolina First Center to the east via Tower Drive. The road then passes over Interstate 385, continuing north through the North Hills Shopping Center, quickly followed by Bob Jones University to the west. At the intersection with County Road 304, SC 291 turns west for one block before meeting with US 29 at Wade Hampton Boulevard, before turning northwest. It continues through more commercial development before making a turn west to South Carolina Highway 253 at Paris Mountain Road, then to its northern terminus at an intersection with US 25/US 276 at Poinsett Highway.

History

The road was established in 1941. From the 1960s to the 1980s, the Pleasantburg Drive or SC 291 area was the location for office and retail activity for the Greenville area. This included the establishment of McAlister Square in 1968 which closed in the early 2000s and is part of the University Center of Greenville. A revitalization plan for the Pleasantburg Drive area began in 1997 and a report was issued seven years later.

Major intersections