Traffic backed up on Hilton Head bridge Thursday afternoon

An accident is caused major delays along William Hilton Parkway, according to the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

At 4 p.m. on Thursday, the sheriff’s office sent out an alert saying a vehicle collision occurred on U.S. 278 on the Hilton Head Island bridge. The right westbound lane was blocked, the alert said, and drivers were advised to use caution and expect delays.

The traffic persisted into the early evening on Thursday. Master Sergeant Bob Herlong of the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deferred questions to the South Carolina Highway Patrol. A message left with Master Trooper M.R. Ridgeway of the South Carolina Highway Patrol was not immediately returned.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Laura Finaldi

The Island Packet

203-885-9580

Laura Finaldi is an award-winning reporter and editor whose career has taken her everywhere from manufacturing companies in Massachusetts to dairy farms in rural Florida. Before joining the Island Packet in 2025, she was an editor at Homes.com in Richmond, Virginia and covered retail and tourism in Sarasota, Florida for five years. She has been published in the Worcester Business Journal, the Richmonder, Virginia Business, the Boston Globe and USA Today.