How do major roads look in Beaufort County? A snowy, icy view & how to access traffic cams
This story was updated at 4:15 p.m. Thursday to reflect up-to-date road conditions.
As of Thursday morning, snow plow crews in the Lowcountry had mostly finished their work on I-95 and shifted focus to clearing and de-icing major highways across Beaufort and Jasper counties.
Still, officials are continuing to urge the public to stay off “treacherous” Lowcountry roadways for nonessential travel due to the risk of dangerous black ice.
If you are braving the roads, here’s a look at current conditions on major thoroughfares in the Hilton Head Island area.
Residents can view roadway conditions by using traffic cameras; however, it will be difficult to see some hazards such as black ice, which is virtually indistinguishable from unfrozen pavement. Drivers encountering black ice should take their foot off the gas and keep the steering wheel straight as they let the car pass over the icy sheet, according to the United States Forest Service.
Traffic camera views can be accessed at any time via the Beaufort County government and South Carolina Department of Transportation websites.
Hilton Head bridges (U.S. 278), Bluffton Parkway flyover
As of 3 p.m. Thursday, all lanes of U.S. 278 heading on and off of Hilton Head were clear and in use. Earlier in the day, snow had covered the left eastbound lane of the highway, largely restricting drivers to the right lane.
Conditions appeared rougher on Bluffton Parkway near its interchange with the highway, although passing vehicles throughout the day had created a small path in the snow. Like the Hilton Head bridges, the flyover is much more susceptible to ice because the roadway is exposed to cold air from above and below.
Woods Memorial Bridge (U.S. 21)
The bridge connecting Lady’s Island to downtown Beaufort appeared mostly clear of snow as of 3 p.m. Thursday, with a steady trickle of cars driving slowly across the iconic swing bridge.
U.S. 278/S.C. 170 interchange (Okatie)
All lanes of U.S. 278 looked clear as of Thursday afternoon, although the overpass crossing S.C. 170 in the Okatie area is likely to freeze more quickly than other parts of the highway.
Nearby sections of S.C. 170 appeared white and slippery Thursday morning but had cleared slightly by the afternoon. Around 10:15 a.m., a Beaufort County deputy was seen pushing a disabled vehicle to help a driver in need at the highway’s intersection with Terrace Drive.
I-95 (Jasper County)
Although the roadway was still surrounded by white, I-95 appeared to be safe for normal travel in its sections crossing through Hardeeville, Ridgeland and the rest of Jasper County. Cars and tractor-trailers alike appeared to be maintaining normal speeds on the interstate throughout Thursday.
Broad River Bridge (S.C. 170)
Similar to its morning conditions, S.C. 170 near the Broad River Bridge was mostly clear of snow Thursday afternoon — but the setting sun highlighted some sections of the highway that appeared slick or icy.
Small patches of snow and slush remained visible in medians and turning lanes near the bridge, which is a crucial span for commuters between Beaufort and Bluffton.
Bluffton Parkway/Buckwalter Parkway
The much-traveled Bluffton and Buckwalter parkways appeared slick and unevenly coated in snow Thursday afternoon, largely unchanged from their morning conditions. In some sections, drivers stuck to one lane due to large patches of uncleared snow on the two-lane route.
Ribaut Road (U.S. 21)
Snow plows appeared to have cleared the bulk of Ribaut Road, an often high-traffic section of U.S. 21 that runs through Port Royal into Beaufort. Small strips of white in the roadway had mostly melted away by the early afternoon.
The nearby McTeer Bridge, which connects Lady’s Island to Port Royal, had also been mostly cleared of snow as of noon Thursday.
May River Road (S.C. 46)
Although the traffic circle at the intersection of S.C. 46 and S.C. 170 was mostly snow-free as of noon Thursday, more eastern sections of May River Road appeared slick and unpredictable.
The long, winding back road stretches from Old Town Bluffton to Hardeeville. At its high-traffic intersection with Buck Island Road, passing cars pushed aside the white that had blanketed lanes earlier Thursday. Some of the morning slush was now standing water in the roadway.
At about 3:50 p.m. Thursday, two snow plows were seen rolling eastbound across May River Road, forging a wider path through the wintry conditions.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 10:43 AM.
