Traffic alert: Crash causes backup on Hilton Head bridges Saturday afternoon

A two-car accident on the eastbound bridge to Hilton Head Island has shut down the left lane, exacerbating the congestion that comes with a typical Saturday afternoon on U.S. 278.

Often dubbed “turnover day,” the Hilton Head bridges are packed with week-long visitors arriving to the island between noon and 6 p.m. most Saturdays.

There were no injuries in the July 13 crash, according to Maj. Bob Bromage with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the cars needed to be removed from the scene by a wrecker, according to a news release, which slowed down traffic. The scene was cleared around 5 p.m.

At 5 p.m., Google Maps reported an hour-and 27-minute delay on U.S. 278

Eastbound traffic appeared to be backed up past Malphrus Road in Bluffton.

This story was originally published July 13, 2019 at 4:49 PM.

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.