UNION COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The U.S. Department of Transportation announced its award of a $51.2 million grant to the South Carolina Department of Transportation for six bridge replacements in Union County on Thursday.
The bridges, which range in age from 68 to 100 years, are approaching or have met the ends of their service lives, SCDOT said. As the bridges have aged SCDOT crews added load restrictions, limiting the weights of trucks the structures can safely bear.
“Whether it is forestry products, agriculture products, manufactured products, bridges are linchpins of our economy,” U.S. Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt said. “By making sure they’re not load restricted, that they’re in good shape, we make sure our economy is in the same way.”
The grant money, made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used for the replacement of the following six bridges:
- US 176 over Padgett’s Creek
- SC 72 over Cox Creek
- SC 215 over Fairforest Creek
- SC 49 over Fairforest Creek
- SC 49 over Tyger River
- SC 114 over Sandy Run Creek
“That network of roads really kind of cross-connects [Interstates] 26, 77 and 85 throughout the area,” SC Transportation Secretary Christy Hall said. “That network carries a good bit of freight traffic and agricultural traffic.”
Hall said the department will take bids for contracts for the projects this fall. She said the projects should be completed sometime in 2026.
