The Town of Lexington hopes to fix the major traffic problems plaguing the Sunset Boulevard and Corley Mill corridor with a multi-million million project known as the Sunset Split.

In an interview with the Chronicle, Lexington Mayor Hazel Livingston said final details are still in the works, but the town has approved a total of approximately $35 million to make the necessary improvements.

The traffic problem in the corridor has been documented as one of the worst in the state, with some 50,000 vehicles passing through daily.

“It’s very, very bad,” Livingston said.

Sunset Boulevard/U.S. 378 serves as the primary connector between the town of Lexington and West Columbia.

The town plans to correct the problem with a dedicated fund of approximately $35 million.

To do this, Lexington officials want to reallocate $16 million that’s been sitting in the bank from a project that fell through in 2023.

That project called for a 93-acre Lexington development that was going to include a conference center, nearly a thousand townhomes and single-family homes. But there was a lot of opposition, prompting council to cancel the project.

Now, that money will be added to $19.6 million worth of hospitality tax and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district funds, providing a total of almost $36 million for the project.

The $16 million will officially be transferred to the project once the state budget kicks in, which lawmakers are in the process of finalizing right now.

To lessen traffic congestion and help traffic flow, the project will split eastbound and westbound traffic lanes on Highway 378 and readjust Riverchase Way and Corley Mill Road locations along the corridor.

Construction is projected to start in late 2025, with an anticipated completion date sometime in 2027.

According to a fact sheet Lexington provided to the Chronicle, a new website will launch for public comments for the design of the project from June 25 to July 24. Additionally, 4,500 addresses within the project's radius will receive informational postcards about the project.

An informational meeting will be held by the town of Lexington on July 10 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Lexington Town Hall.