Do you support DOT’s updated US 278 plan for the Hilton Head bridges? Vote in our poll
The contentious and yearslong U.S. 278 corridor project has taken a new turn: The S.C. Department of Transportation recently tweaked its favored $290 million plan to demolish and replace the existing bridges between Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.
One of the significant changes: SCDOT now wants to keep left turns at several island intersections, including Squire Pope Road-U.S. 278.
But the state agency has not endorsed other ideas, like building two new three-lane bridges instead of one new six-lane bridge.
What do you think of SCDOT’s current proposal?
You can weigh in via this survey from The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette:
Citizen groups and concerned residents, meanwhile, have argued that the SCDOT plan is deeply flawed and have urged state officials to expand the project’s scope of study.
The Coalition of Island Neighbors, or COIN, in a recent statement wrote that the project should not move forward until a town-hired consultant finishes an islandwide analysis of Hilton Head’s capacity issues.
If you think the U.S. 278 project should be delayed or altered in some way, you can offer your thoughts in this poll from the newspapers:
Additionally, if you have any questions about SCDOT’s plan, you can let us know here:
These are not scientific polls. The S.C. Department of Transportation recently published an analysis of public comments about the U.S. 278 project that were submitted to the state last summer: bit.ly/US278Meeting
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 11:25 AM.
