KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — A significant road project has left commuters in Elgin taking an over one-mile detour for more than a year.
The project to fix the bridge alone Wildwood Lane was supposed to have begun, but it hasn’t.
“It just seems like nobody cares,” said Elgin resident Tim Taylor.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) shut down the bridge last year after they found problems around the foundation of the structure.
“It's impacted the entire neighborhood. It's impacted Elgin, the whole Wildbrook Run neighborhood," Taylor said. You have, you gone through Elgin or the dirt road.”
Taylor lives less than a mile from the project and has been frustrated with the process.
A year ago, News19 reached out to SCDOT about this project. At the time, they said the would replace the bridge instead of repairing it.
That work was supposed to have started within 12 months. But, a year later, the only changes we noticed is now there is now "No bridge" signs, "road closed" signs.
"It's very frustrating how you get away with not doing anything,” Taylor said.
We reached out to SCDOT for an update on the project and find out what's causing the delay.
SCDOT says the project was slowed because they needed to get additional permits.
They also say they had to make some design changes because of all the earthquakes in the Elgin area over the last year.
So now, SCDOT says the project will get underway early next year and will take about 12 to 18 months to complete.
As for Taylor, he’s just hoping they will get a new bridge up soon.
“They should build a 100-year bridge, and how long does it take to build a bridge like that? We’re not talking about over the Broad River,” Taylor said.