New plan for Hilton Head bridge aims for completion in six years. What would it entail?
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A new plan aiming to complete the U.S. 278 Corridor Project by at least January 2031 is now awaiting approval from the State Infrastructure Bank.
By mid-June, residents will know whether the SIB will help fund the $311 million project — or leave the South Carolina Department of Transportation to move forward with its own version.
Beaufort County Council met Tuesday evening to discuss the revised proposal, which directly addresses the SIB’s earlier concerns, including funding sequence conflicts, the absence of a detailed construction timeline and unclear cost overrun coverage. The updated plan mirrors the March proposal — previously denied by the SIB — but introduces key updates intended to cut costs, reduce delays and avoid disrupting a waterline that supplies 20% of the island’s drinking water.
With hurricane season approaching, the bridge’s vulnerability adds urgency to the county’s efforts to secure funding and maintain control of the project. That urgency is further heightened by concerns that the aging 1956 eastbound bridge could become unsafe for heavy vehicles — including emergency vehicles — if its condition continues to decline. Without intervention, the structure may reach a point after 2031 where weight restrictions are necessary, potentially limiting critical services before a replacement is complete.
What’s in the revised plan?
The revised project would replace the aging bridge along a key section of U.S. 278, from the Bluffton Parkway flyover to the Windmill Harbor intersection, according to county documents.
Improvements include:
Replacement of the two eastbound bridges over Mackay Creek and Skull Creek, while retaining the existing two-lane westbound bridges.
Construction of a three-lane eastbound bridge without a multi-use pathway.
Striping the new bridge for two lanes, with only necessary road tie-ins included.
Designing the bridge width to accommodate temporary four-lane use in the future if westbound bridge replacement is required.
Full and direct access to Pinckney Island from the new eastbound bridge and the existing westbound bridges.
The new eastbound bridges will be designed to avoid the subaqueous water line, eliminating the need for relocation.
Removal of the eastbound Mackay Creek Bridge.
Construction of a Hog Island connector road/bridge to provide access to Mariner’s Cove, Blue Heron Point and Hog Island, linking back to US 278 at the Windmill Harbor intersection.
Retention and improvement of the Windmill Harbor traffic signal with mast arms.
How much will the project cost?
The total estimated cost of the project is $311.6 million, with funding drawn from a mix of local, state and regional sources:
Beaufort County 2018 Sales Tax Funds: $80 million
Beaufort County Road Impact Fees: $21 million
SCDOT (LATS) Guideshare Funds: $2 million
SCDOT Interstate/NHS Bridge Funds: $88.6 million
SC Transportation Infrastructure Bank (pending approval): $120 million
What is the timeline?
According to county and state documents, the project is tentatively scheduled to follow this timeline:
June 2025: Finalize funding plan
June 2026: Approval of revised environmental documents under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Mid–Late 2026 to 2027: Final design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition and utility coordination
End of 2027: Construction advertisement and contractor selection
Early 2028: Begin construction
December 2030: Project completion (34-month construction timeline plus a one-year contingency period for delays)
What happens if the project misses its timeline or exceeds budget?
If the project isn’t completed by the agreed-upon date — even accounting for built-in grace periods — the SIB can recover all or part of the grant funding, Sen. Tom Davis, who represents Beaufort and Jasper Counties and played a key role in securing funding for the project, said.
While this is a legal possibility, he emphasized that the SIB is not adversarial in its approach. If the project moves forward in good faith, the SIB generally works with counties rather than against them.
The original intergovernmental agreement from 2021 made Beaufort County solely responsible for any cost overruns beyond the $311 million estimate. But recent negotiations led to a key concession from SCDOT, Davis said.
The project already includes a 20% contingency reserve (about $60 million).
For any costs that exceed that reserve, SCDOT has agreed to cover about 30% of the overage, reducing the financial risk for the county.
Davis said the odds of a major cost overrun are remote, given that the project was conservatively budgeted and the contractor agreements include deadlines with built-in penalties to avoid delays.
Still, if overruns happen years down the road, Davis said the county could reallocate funds from other projects, tap into cash reserves or use some of its bonding capacity — which is around $87 million.
Will this fix the traffic problem?
Beaufort County and Hilton Head Island officials, along with Sen. Tom Davis, agree the broader traffic problem won’t be solved by replacing the bridge alone. But Davis emphasized that the projects aren’t mutually exclusive.
Once a master plan is developed, the Beaufort County legislative delegation can work to secure funding from sources such as SCDOT and state capital reserve funds.
“We all want to solve the problem,” Davis said. “We don’t have to sacrifice one of the pieces of the puzzle to solve that on-island piece — we can do that concurrently with the larger bridge project.”
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 8:30 AM.
