Hilton Head Island-bound traffic now moving on US 278

Drivers who began lining up on eastbound U.S. 278 on Tuesday morning in anticipation of returning home to Hilton Head Island after evacuating for Hurricane Matthew finally got to go-ahead around 2:45 p.m.

The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office had placed a barricade near Tanger 2 and was turning cars around. Some drivers found places to park in and around the shoppings areas along the way, but that tangle is slowly unraveling as cars move back onto the road.

Only utility workers, law enforcement and, eventually, some business owners, had been allowed through until the general all-clear.

Hilton Head mayor David Bennett said late Tuesday the island would open to residents around 3 p.m. but warned that many of its gated communities would still be closed because of extensive damage and dangerous conditions, including fallen trees and standing water.

This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 9:29 AM with the headline "Hilton Head Island-bound traffic now moving on US 278."