Construction alert: SC DOT to start work on new westbound bridge on Garners Ferry Road

A major highway bridge on a much-traveled route between Columbia and Sumter will be the site of a large and lengthy construction project, according to the S.C. Department of Transportation.

Starting Dec. 23, S.C. DOT will start to build a new and improved westbound bridge on U.S. Highway 76/378, also known as Garners Ferry Road, over the Wateree River at the Richland and Sumter County line, the agency said in a press release.

The current westbound bridge will be replaced with a new 2,310-foot concrete bridge, “designed to improve safety along the route,” the press release said.

The new bridge, is scheduled to be fully open to traffic by the end of August 2024.

In the summer, the road is heavily used by Columbia-area traffic headed to and from the Grand Strand.

On an average day, some 17,600 vehicles travel, in both directions, across the bridges, according to 2021 DOT yearly traffic data.

The new bridge’s cost is $40.9 million, DOT said.

The replacement bridge is part of DOT’s 10-year strategic program to replace hundreds of deficient roads and bridges across South Carolina.

During the more than 18 months of construction work, the release said traffic will be maintained in both directions, but all traffic will be shifted to the eastbound Garners Ferry bridge. The eastbound bridge won’t be replaced, but it will get an upgraded surface as part of this project.

“Drivers in the area are reminded to slow down, pay attention to road signs, and travel safely,” the press release said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 10:50 AM.