KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — Drivers in Kershaw County are seeing a lot of delays, as three separate bridge projects are underway.
One is at I-20 over the Wateree River another is at US-1 over the Wateree River, and the third is at the Mt. Pisgah Bridge.
“I've enjoyed that ride, so my thing is once you get used to a route you like to stay with it,” says Mary Demby, Executive Director of Mt. Pisgah Community Resource Center.
She has seen shifts in other drivers' commutes due to the closure.
"Based upon who you are, if you are a truck driver it definitely impacts them because there are a lot of connections when it comes from 341 going towards 903 and 357," she adds.
News19 reached out to the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) they said the Mt. Pisgah Bridge had to be closed due to a recent inspection.
Workers will be doing repairs on the support structures and the deck surface.
That’s going to take about 12 weeks to complete, with plans to open the bridge later this year.
The detour asks drivers to take Charlie Johnson Road to Lockhart Road and then over to Jones Road, a detour Demby says she’s okay with.
“Anything to keep us safe, I think it’s something needed, I know it might be giving us problems for 12 weeks but we need it,” Demby adds.
Drivers are dealing with growing traffic on I-20 as SCDOT has begun work to replace existing eastbound and westbound bridges where the interstate crosses the Wateree River.
SCDOT said in a statement:
This month, the SCDOT started clearing operations on the project, which is about a two-mile stretch, and the public can expect some lane closures during this time. later this fall, SCDOT will start paving the shoulder and rehabbing the eastside bridge deck. both lanes will be open when there is no work on the bridges. at this time, we anticipate the project will be finished in 2027.
As for the project on US-1 over the Wateree River, we’re told traffic has been reduced to one lane.
SCDOT says crews are still trying to determine how much work needs to be done…so they don’t have a timeline for when that work might be complete.