SCDOT warns of “looming bridge crisis”

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (FOX Carolina) – The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is asking state lawmakers for an additional $200 million to help repair and replace bridges across the Palmetto State, including the Upstate.

One of the 500 bridges included in SCDOT’s 10-Year Plan, implemented in 2017, is a small bridge along Old Spartanburg Highway situated over the South Tyger River in Moore.

“Since I’ve been here, that’s been worked on two or three times. So, yeah, if they fix it, it would be nice,” Jose Salas, who lives nearby, said.

According to the SCDOT, the bridge doesn’t just need fixing. It needs to be replaced.

Salas has lived near the bridge for about seven years and has watched it break apart.

“One of the walls had fallen before; one side was down. Somebody hit it, and the whole left side rail had fallen off,” Salas said.

In their report, the SCDOT said, “A significant number of bridges are aging out.”

The dots in the above map indicate bridges that are at least 60 years old. The red ones show bridges that are 80 to 90 years old, including many in the Upstate.

“The Tyger River is right behind us. That’s actually the river that goes right under the bridge. When it rains, it really comes almost to the top of that bridge, so it’s kind of scary coming home after it rains for a long time,” Salas said.

In a recent presentation to lawmakers, SCDOT said they have fixed 349 of the 500 bridges on their list. In order to fix all 500; however, the department said they need additional funds.

The project to replace the bridge in Moore is part of Bridge Package 21, which proposes to replace six bridges in Spartanburg and Oconee counties.

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