WINNSBORO — With more than 90% of Fairfield County currently comprised of rural acreage, farmland, and forests, regional planners are looking decades down the road to consider how potential future development and roadway needs should be managed over the next quarter-century.
The Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) and the Columbia Area Transportation Study (COATS) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will host a public open house on Monday, Oct. 26, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Midlands Technical College’s Fairfield campus, located at 1674 U.S. 321 Business in Winnsboro.
The drop-in session gives residents an opportunity to examine and weigh in on the draft ELEVATE 2050 Long Range Transportation Plan, a 25-year roadmap evaluating potential transportation investments across Fairfield, Richland, Lexington, and Newberry counties.
A central element of long-range transportation planning involves modeling how land use across the county could evolve between now and 2050, helping officials anticipate infrastructure needs well before they arise. According to baseline data from the county’s comprehensive plan, rural and undeveloped land currently accounts for roughly 90.1% (nearly 386,000 acres) of Fairfield County, with residential land making up 3.8% and commercial development accounting for just 1%.
Looking ahead toward 2050, the draft plan examines potential shifts in land use patterns:
- Natural conservation and rural interface areas are planned to remain the vast majority of the county, preserving about 70% of its land area.
- Residential land is projected to potentially expand from 3.8% to 13.8%.
- Commercial land is projected to grow from 1% to 12%.
- Approximately 7,200 acres (1.4% of the county) are earmarked for potential long-term urban expansion, primarily clustered near existing municipalities like Winnsboro and Ridgeway, as well as along the southern border near Blythewood.
To support the county’s existing road network while preparing for any future traffic demands, the draft plan outlines several key focus areas. These include upgrading the U.S. 321 corridor through Winnsboro with connected, fiber-linked traffic signal technology and studying key intersections along S.C. 34, S.C. 215, and near Interstate 77 interchanges.
Because long-range plans help dictate which local road projects qualify for federal and state transportation funding over the next 25 years, planners are encouraging Fairfield County residents to attend and share their priorities. Attendees can drop in at any point between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to review detailed corridor maps, speak with transportation engineers, and provide feedback.
For residents unable to attend in person, the draft plan can be viewed online via the CMCOG project website. Written comments are being accepted through Nov. 20, 2026, and may be emailed to Reginald Simmons, CMCOG Deputy Executive Director and Transportation Director, at Rsimmons@centralmidlands.org.
See the Fairfield Land Use portion of the draft plan below.