Will the Hilton Head Island bridges close for Hurricane Dorian?

The bridges to Hilton Head Island remained open Tuesday during the evacuation of Beaufort County ahead of Hurricane Dorian, according to a news release from the Town of Hilton Head Island.

“The Hilton Head Island bridges will not close unless Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office determines that the winds will make traveling across the bridges dangerous,” the release says.

Bridges and causeways, such as the Hilton Head Island bridges, would likely close with the onset of tropical-force winds, Lt. Col. Neil Baxley, commander of the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Division, said Monday.

Winds reaching 40 miles per hour or higher are considered tropical-force winds.

Tuesday forecasts project the earliest reasonable arrival of tropical-force winds as Wednesday morning, and the most likely arrival is about 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

This story was originally published September 3, 2019 at 3:53 PM.