Traffic backed up on highway because of change at Fort Jackson, Army says
Wednesday was the first day that a new security system was put into effect at the gates entering Fort Jackson, and the transition was not as smooth as possible.
Drivers encountered delays entering the military installation in Columbia, South Carolina, and the backups caused a traffic jam on nearby Interstate 77, the U.S. Army said in a news release.
“We recognize the impacts the new system caused to the community and made adjustments to lessen any future effects,” Army officials said in the release. “We thank you for your patience and apologize for any inconvenience.”
Information about why the new security system was needed, and what is now involved to enter the base after changes were made by Fort Jackson’s Law Enforcement and Physical Security Teams, was not available.
Prior to launching the new system, Army officials warned that heavy traffic was expected at all of the gates entering Fort Jackson. There was no mention of any effects of the delays might have on I-77.
“Drivers should expect longer than usual wait times to enter Fort Jackson,” Army officials said just before 8 a.m. as the morning commute was underway. “This will mostly affect Basic Combat Training Family and Graduation Days, so please allow extra time.”
Wednesday was a Basic Combat Training Family at Fort Jackson.
Fort Jackson is the nation’s largest military basic training base, with more than 50,000 recruits assigned there each year to train to be soldiers.
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This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Traffic backed up on highway because of change at Fort Jackson, Army says."
