Surprise grant option may revive full 278 bridge plan. Where’s the money coming from?
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In a late twist, just 10 minutes before Thursday’s Beaufort County Council workshop ended, county officials revealed a new federal grant opportunity that could revive the full six-lane U.S. 278 corridor project.
The announcement came just days after the South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank unanimously approved the county’s scaled-back version of the project, committing $120 million toward a three-lane eastbound bridge estimated to cost $311.6 million. This followed voters’ rejection of a roughly $1 billion penny tax that would have helped fund the project’s rising costs.
The grant is part of the Bridge Investment Program, a competitive federal highway administration initiative amended on June 2 that funds large-scale bridge projects costing over $100 million. If awarded, Beaufort County could receive up to $200 million in federal funds, using $300 million already committed by the county, the town of Hilton Head, the state Department of Transportation and the State Infrastructure Bank as the required local match for the full $466.8 million project to construct new eastbound and westbound spans.
However, without continued support from the State Infrastructure Bank, the county likely couldn’t afford to apply. The timeline is also tight: the county council must vote to apply by July 14, or call a special meeting, to meet the August 1 deadline.
At Thursday’s meeting, some of the County Council appeared surprised that news of a grant surfaced so late, especially given the time already committed to the current project and the need for clear communication with county residents. Council Chair Alice Howard, speaking in a separate interview, said she had heard about the grant beforehand but noted the county will be competing against applicants from across the country. Still, she said she believes the project would be beneficial.
“There’s no harm in asking for the grant,” she said.
If the county council decides to move forward with the federal grant application, the plan to build a three-lane eastbound bridge would continue for now, said Assistant County Administrator Jared Fralix. Since that version of the project is only about 10% designed, county staff will use the next several months to advance it while waiting to hear back on the grant — a decision that’s expected within six to nine months, he added.
Applying for the grant wouldn’t delay the project or increase costs for the county or its partners — a reassurance Fralix said he hopes will ease concerns that the State Infrastructure Bank might withdraw its support.
If awarded, the county could shift back to the original six-lane plan, which is already further along in the design process. Either way, Fralix said the timeline remains the same, with both versions of the project targeting a December 2030 completion.
“This is just an opportunity for us to deliver on the full corridor improvements that we intended,” Fralix said. “If we’re able to secure outside federal funding, that would make the entirety of the project whole — I think that’s a benefit to the entire community, county and state.”
Sen. Tom Davis, who represents Beaufort and Jasper Counties and helped secure funding for the project, believes the grant is worth considering as well, although he does have some questions and issues he believes would need to be addressed.
Could the new eastbound and westbound spans be built as separate structures, or would they have to be combined into one single span?
Davis said he prefers the former alternative, in that there was considerable opposition from islanders on the scale and mass of one combined eastbound-westbound span.
Could the master plan for the on-island portion of the project — from Windmill Harbor to the intersection with the Cross Island Parkway — currently being finalized by the Town of Hilton Head Island, be incorporated into the project design?
Is there an opportunity to replace the existing above-ground electric transmission lines with a less visible alternative?
Davis said he has researched this and believes an electrical conduit, which protects the transmission lines, could be routed within the bridge structure or attached to girders using specialized support systems.
Will the new application slow down the timeline for completing the project?
Davis said the eastbound span over Mackay Creek needs to be replaced as soon as possible.
Among Davis’s top priorities is ensuring the bridge not only functions well but also aligns with the character of the island.
“The fundamentals — utility, functionality and safety — are of course very important,” Davis said. “But creating an aesthetic sense of place is also important. Hilton Head Island is special and iconic, and its entrance should reflect that.”
