KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — After years of being closed, the Wildwood Lane bridge in Kershaw County is finally undergoing construction.
"It’s long overdue to be finished. I mean, for me to go downtown, it's another eight miles all the way around," said Charles Robson, who lives feet away from the bridge.
"I don’t understand what the problem is," he said.
News19 has covered the bridge closure since July 2022.
At that time, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) said inspection had revealed settlement issues at the foundation, leading to the bridge's closure. The construction was initially planned to begin in 2023.
News19 asked for an update in July 2023 after residents expressed growing frustration.
"It's impacted the entire neighborhood," resident Tim Taylor said. "It's impacted Elgin, the whole Wildbrook Run neighborhood."
SCDOT said that the project was delayed due to the need for additional permits and design changes required by the earthquakes in the Elgin area over the past year. They projected the work to start in early 2024, estimating a completion time of 12 to 18 months.
As of June, SCDOT said they had begun the first phase of bridge construction this month, including clearing the right-of-way and utility relocation.
Taylor is happy to see the work starting.
"Well it would knock several tire alignments off my schedule from having to go down really bad dirt roads and also cut off about five miles off my route every day," he said.
SCDOT said the project will be complete in the fall of 2025.