Roads
Bridge repairs will narrow lanes for three months
Repairs to the bridge over the Waccamaw River, which are scheduled to begin in the new year, will require shutting down one lane of travel in each direction for almost three months.
The state Department of Transportation will hold a meeting next week to present its plans to the public.
During an inspection of the bridge, the state Department of Transportation found “scour,” which is the removal of sediment such as sand and gravel from the piers.
Scour can also cause wear to the structure. The repair work will protect the bridge from future scour.
The $40.3 million project also includes installation of a new deck.
Peak traffic on the bridge averages 28,000 vehicles a day.
It is unclear how the closures will work. One side of the bridge is closed every year for a few hours during the Historic Georgetown Bridge2Bridge Run.
Lane closures will begin at 10 p.m. on Jan. 3. The bridge is expected to fully reopen on March 22.
Vehicles wider than 10 feet will not be allowed to cross the bridge during this time.
Residents north and south of the bridges received postcards about the work last week. SCDOT is sending more postcards out this week to residents farther north, including the Murrells Inlet area.
SCDOT is hosting a meeting about the project to get public input on Aug. 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Howard Auditorium in Georgetown.
The agency created a website for the project that includes a comment form.
