New bridge is ‘first step in many’ to healing flood’s wounds

Rain drizzled Monday on Transportation Department contractors as they wrapped up construction of a new Rockbridge Road bridge, replacing a structure that washed out during October’s flooding.

The new bridge over Spring Lake is set to reopen by June 15. But, if weather permits, the bridge could reopen by the end of this week, Transportation officials say.

Reopening Rockbridge Road, in an area devastated by October’s flooding, is “the first step in many that need to be implemented in order to get all of our major traffic arteries back online,” said Forest Acres Mayor Frank Brunson.

But neighbors in the towns of Forest Lake and Arcadia Lakes say they are excited about that first step toward normalcy.

October’s flooding forced at least six area roads to close. Some of those still-closed roads are atop privately owned dams that have no rebuilding date in sight, making it unclear when the roads will reopen.

‘2016’ carved in cement

Rockbridge Road bridge is being replaced because it is not atop a dam and is maintained by the S.C. Department of Transportation.

New pavement leads up to both sides of the new bridge, which has “2016” carved into the cement alongside it.

The bridge cost $2.3 million to design and build. Reconstruction started in March.

Rockbridge Road is a main thoroughfare through the area, said longtime resident Brenda Byrd.

Neighbors on one side of the bridge use it to get to schools, churches and even family members on the other side, she said.

“I’ve probably walked that bridge a thousand times,” said state Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland, who trekked across the bridge as a child to attend Forest Lake Elementary School.

Arcadia Lakes Mayor Mark Huguley said the reopening of the Rockbridge Road bridge will help residents who were cut off from roads when the Cary Lake dam breached.

Those residents still use a makeshift road, created by extending a driveway, to get to their homes. However, Rockbridge Road will allow them to more quickly access the Trenholm Road area, Huguley said.

Quicker access for law enforcement

After the flood, Lourie and state Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Richland, raised concerns about a possible increase in crime because the loss of the bridge limited law enforcement’s access into the area.

There were some car break-ins in the area immediately after the flooding, said Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Curtis Wilson. However, deputies arrested a suspect, he added.

However, Forest Acres Police Chief Gene Sealy said his agency has not seen an uptick in crime.

While the closed roads have resulted in longer routes for police, officers have kept up their presence in the area, Sealy said.

But the bridge’s reopening will be welcome.

“It’ll certainly make things a lot quicker for us to get to the other side for normal patrol as well as in an emergency,” Sealy said.

‘We’re still here strong’

The inconveniences residents have faced because of the flood do not compare to those who lost loved ones, said longtime resident Byrd.

In her more than 40 years living in the Forest Acres area, Byrd said she had never seen anything like the flooding.

People were canoeing and kayaking on Eastshore Drive, she said. “It was incredible.”

Byrd was out of town during October’s flooding but she watched news about the disaster on TV.

It looked like “Columbia had been washed off the map,” she said.

But, she added, “We’re still here strong.”

This story was originally published June 6, 2016 at 7:33 PM with the headline "New bridge is ‘first step in many’ to healing flood’s wounds."