Construction to drop speed limit on sections of U.S. 278 to 45 mph

The speed limit in the U.S. 278 construction zone will drop to 45 mph within a week for safety reasons, according to a news release. The lower limit will be through a five-mile stretch between the S.C. 170 overpass bridge and Simmonsville Road in Bluffton. The 45 mph limit will remain until the project's estimated completion date, November 2013, according to the release. There will also be a lane shift from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday, from the S.C. 170 overpass bridge to the bridge over the Okatie River.