U.S. 78 bridges to be replaced
By GENE ZALESKI, T&D Staff Writer Friday, August 01, 2008A group of bridges along U.S. 78, each more 75 years old, could be replaced in coming years, the S.C. Department of Transportation says.
The U.S. 78 bridge over the Edisto River and two other U.S. 78 bridges near the overflow points adjacent to the Edisto River Swamp in Orangeburg and Bamberg counties are slated to receive federal funds for replacement as part of the Federal-Aid Bridge Replacement Program for 2010 and 2011.
“They will be replaced,” SCDOT District 7 Construction Engineer Jim Porth said. “The plan at this moment is they will build new bridges off to one side of the existing bridge while traffic will continue to flow.”
The U.S. 78 bridges were built in 1931 and have a daily traffic count of 2,800 vehicles.
Porth said the bridges are showing signs of wear and tear with some minor structural cracking. He said the bridges are not, however, considered dangerous.
Another project in the T&D Region slated to go out for contract later this year is the U.S. 601 bridge over the Congaree Swamp in northern Calhoun County.
The bridge, which was constructed in 1949, is considered substandard or structurally deficient. The designation does not imply the bridge is unsafe or needs to have the load restricted.
“The lifetime inspections scoring system qualifies it for replacement,” Porth said. The bridge carried about 3,700 vehicles daily in 2007.
The U.S. 601 bridge is the only one in Calhoun County considered substandard, according to a AAA Carolinas study released in 2007. The AAA study is an analysis of SCDOT data and does not use the same formula as SCDOT.
AAA Carolinas annually ranks the state’s substandard bridges. The designation substandard does not mean a bridge poses an immediate threat to motorists.
The Caw Caw Swamp bridge on U.S. 178 is also considered substandard.
The bridge is located about a half-mile north of Orangeburg. Built in 1942, the bridge is listed as being structurally deficient. It has a daily traffic count of about 30,300, according to AAA Carolinas.
The U.S. 301 North bridge over the North Edisto River was also ranked among the state’s substandard bridges, according to AAA. The bridge was constructed in 1954.
| S.C.’s worst bridges The Associated Press found South Carolina shares the worst record in addressing structurally deficient bridges with three other states. The state has an estimated backlog of $3 billion in work that needs to be done to its bridges. Among South Carolina’s 20 busiest, structurally deficient bridges, just one has seen major work in the past year. The bridges are: — I-26 over Southern Railway, 3 miles west of West Columbia, Lexington County. 85,300 average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-26, over CN&L Railroad, 3 miles northwest of Columbia, Richland County. 83,400 average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-26 at S.C. 642 (Dorchester Road), in North Charleston, Charleston County. 83,100 average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-26 at U.S. 1, 1 mile west of West Columbia, Lexington County. 79,000, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-26 at S.C. 302 (Airport Boulevard), 2 miles southwest of West Columbia, Lexington County. 77,300, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — S.C. 171 (Folly Road) at James Island Creek, 4 miles southwest of Charleston. Charleston County. 47,100, average daily traffic. Repairs in progress. — I-385 at I-85, northbound, 6 miles east of Greenville, Greenville County. 41,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-385 at I-85 southbound, 6 miles east of Greenville, Greenville County. 41,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — I-85 at Brushy Creek, southbound, 8 miles north of Williamston, Anderson County. 33,650, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — S.C. 277 at I-77, 7 miles north of Columbia, Richland County. 31,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — S.C. 85 at Southern Railroad and S-42-995, 3.2 miles northwest of Spartanburg, Spartanburg County. 31,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — S.C. 85 at S-2, 3.2 miles northwest of Spartanburg, Spartanburg County. 31,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 29 at Mountain Creek, 4.5 miles southwest of Greer, Greenville County. 31,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 29 at Enoree River, 4.5 miles southwest of Greer, Greenville County. 31,600, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 76 Bypass at U.S. 521, 3 miles west of Sumter, Sumter County. 30,800, average daily traffic. No work completed, plans for future work. — U.S. 178 at Caw Caw Swamp, 0.5 miles north of Orangeburg, Orangeburg County. 30,300, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 21 at Albergotti Creek, near Beaufort, Beaufort County. 30,300, average daily traffic. No work completed, plans for future work. — I-385 at S.C. 14 and CSX Railroad, 15.1 miles northwest of Laurens, Laurens County. 29,800, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 378 at Twelve Mile Creek, 3 miles northeast of Lexington, Lexington County. 29,700, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. — U.S. 17 at Ashley River, in Charleston, Charleston County. 29,200, average daily traffic. No work completed or future plans. ——— Source: Analysis by The Associated Press based on federal, South Carolina Department of Transportation data. |
T&D Staff Writer Gene Zaleski can be reached by e-mail at gzaleski@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5551.
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