COLUMBIA, S.C. — The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) $175 million to replace four I-95 bridges across Lake Marion in Clarendon and Orangeburg counties as part of the federal Large Bridge Project awards through the Federal Highway Administration.
The existing bridges were originally constructed in 1968 with narrow shoulders that do not allow vehicle recovery or space to move a vehicle if there is a breakdown or incident. Also, according to SCDOT, the bridge decks do not meet the current design standards for thickness based on design vehicle loads.
Although the bridges have a Fair rating, because I-95 serves as a main north-south artery for traffic along the East Coast and a hurricane evacuation route, bridge replacement must be completed while the current structure can still operate safely. Closing or detouring traffic along I-95 is not an option because the next closest crossings over/around Lake Marion are 20 miles away—US-601 to the west or SC-6/45 and US-52 to the east.
The proposed replacement bridge would be a single span with three 12-foot lanes of traffic plus a 12-foot exterior shoulder and 10-foot center shoulder for both north- and southbound traffic. A center cement barrier would separate the traffic lanes, and the southbound lane would have an additional 14-foot fenced-off and barricaded shared bike and pedestrian lane. The wider traffic lanes and shoulders would allow for an additional 12-foot traffic lane if needed.
Work is expected to start in Summer 2025.
