Could Hilton Head see a parallel bridge to 278 or will county secure $90M by March?
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Beaufort County leaders are facing another timeline to address the $190 million funding shortfall for the U.S. 278 Corridor Project, now a deadline of March 31, 2025, set by the South Carolina Department of Transportation. This follows an initial 15-day deadline set by the State Infrastructure Bank earlier this month, which required the county to explain its funding plans to proceed with the project.
The project, which aimed to replace the aging eastbound Mackay Creek bridge and improve traffic flow from Moss Creek Drive to Spanish Wells Road, has been stalled by rising costs and a failed sales tax referendum.
Last week, County Administrator Michael Moore notified the SIB that the county could not meet its financial obligations for the estimated $488 million project. Originally planned at $292 million, the project’s costs have nearly doubled, leaving the county scrambling for alternative solutions outside of raising property taxes.
State Senator Tom Davis, who represents Beaufort and Jasper Counties and played a key role in securing initial funding, outlined to the council a path forward, expressing confidence that securing $90 million locally could unlock additional funding from the SCDOT and the SIB to cover the remaining gap. To achieve this, Davis said the county is exploring the possibility of reallocating funds from other projects, although Jared Fralix, assistant county administrator of infrastructure, said there are no other local projects to divert funds from.
If the county fails to provide a viable financial plan by the March 31 deadline, SCDOT has proposed a contingency plan: constructing a new two-lane parallel bridge south of the existing eastbound bridge at an estimated cost of $90 million, Davis said. The bridge would be designed to expand to three lanes in the future. SCDOT also suggested the county use the $80 million from the 2018 sales tax referendum to fund a second westbound span from Pinckney Island to the mainland, Davis added.
Davis stressed the importance of transparency in making these decisions, urging the county and the Town of Hilton Head to have conversations and hold public hearings. These forums would allow residents to voice opinions on deferring other projects to prioritize the bridge replacement.
“This has to be a community decision,” Davis said.
The urgency to act stems from the deteriorating condition of the 1956 eastbound bridge, which inspectors have rated as “poor,” scoring four out of 10. A Nov. 18 letter from SCDOT Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell warned that if no progress is made by the March deadline, the department would end its agreements with the county and focus solely on replacing the bridge. The bridge’s condition raises concerns about potential weight restrictions, which could impact emergency vehicles, commercial trucks and school buses, according to the letter.
As the March deadline approaches, Davis remains optimistic about reaching a solution. He plans to meet with SIB board members and Chairman John White Nov. 20 to advocate for Beaufort County’s progress and align on the extended timeline.
“My request will be to have [SIB] adopt the same March 31 timeline that the DOT has suggested,” Davis said.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 2:37 PM.
