​

Federal Grant to Help Fund Replacement of Six Bridges in Union County

Union, S.C. (April 13, 2023) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) officials gathered today near the bridge on S.C. 49 over the Tyger River in Union County to celebrate SCDOT's receipt of a $51.2 million grant that will help replace six bridges in Union County:

• U.S. 176 over Padgetts Creek
• S.C. 72 over Coxs Creek
• S.C. 215 over Fairforest Creek
• S.C. 49 over Tyger River
• S.C. 49 over Fairforest Creek
• S.C. 114 over Sandy Run Creek

The six Union County bridges are more than 60 years old, are in fair or poor condition, and have vehicle weight restrictions. In these ways, they are similar to hundreds of bridges throughout South Carolina that SCDOT is working to repair or replace. Since 2017, SCDOT has focused on repairing and replacing aging bridges, with 274 bridge replacements or repairs complete or underway.

South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Christy A. Hall, P.E., said South Carolina must continue to invest in aging bridges, preventing the disruption that a bridge failure would create, and ensuring the state's road and bridge network is available to serve the shipping, tourism, and agribusiness industries that fuel South Carolina's economy.

"The needs are great in our state as we recover from more than 30 years of deferred funding and deferred maintenance, and bridges are a key part of SCDOT's 10-Year Strategic Plan," Secretary Hall said. "We are not only looking to replace and rehabilitate closed and load restricted bridges. Looking ahead, we see the need and are advocating for additional state funding of $200 million per year over the next five years to tackle bridges just like this on our Interstate network so that we can prevent them from having a closure or weight restriction on a major route like I-26."

SCDOT maintains approximately 8,500 bridges throughout South Carolina.  

For Media

Link to download footage of announcement event: https://we.tl/t-GENqoECuwc

Link to download footage of Secretary Hall's remarks:  https://we.tl/t-s2y1WOCfyT

Link to download footage of bridges: https://we.tl/t-EbTqVTWiH3

About SCDOT

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is the state agency with oversight of South Carolina's network of highways and bridges, including responsibilities such as planning, design, construction, financing, and roadway safety. To ensure the nation's fourth-largest highway system is prepared to serve the needs of South Carolina's growing economy and population, SCDOT has developed a Strategic 10-Year Plan that addresses improvements to the state's highway and bridge systems. Learn more at scdot.org. 

# # #