07/15/2026
FYI
🌁‼️🚨You all wanted to know why Storm Branch Rd bridge has taken so long.
Here is a detailed email from SCDOT with all of that information. Scheduled Completion Summer 2026.
Please share.
Representative Oremus,
Per your request, below are timelines of activities for the Storm Branch Road bridge project. One general reason why this project has taken as long as it has is because we're replacing a failed culvert with a new bridge. Had we been replacing an old bridge with a new bridge in the exact footprint (as was the case with the Vaucluse Road bridge over I-20), this project likely would have progressed much more quickly. The new bridge structure will serve the community for a lifetime.
"Preconstruction" items
Engineering/design, utility relocation, permitting and Right of Way acquisition. There is usually very little activity on site of a project while these items are being done, so some people may become frustrated because they don't see activity on site, all the while these items are being worked as requirements to be completed before construction.
A structural assessment in late October 2023 revealed severe, hidden structural issues. Although the road surface appeared intact, it was closed immediately to protect motorists. The evaluation proved that the existing, undersized culvert was beyond repair. Replacing it with a modern bridge strengthens critical infrastructure and reopens a vital corridor for this community. Furthermore, the new design eliminates the risk of debris buildup, preventing upstream flooding and structural impacts while also reducing future maintenance costs.
Following the initial emergency assessment and closure in October 2023, SCDOT partnered with design consultants in November 2023 to develop a specialized, expedited path forward for design and construction. Between November 2023 and April 2025, our teams worked through several complex, concurrent development phases.
To fit the new, larger bridge structure, Pepper Branch Road had to be realigned. This required extensive additional design and coordination, compared to a more standard, straightforward bridge replacement. The realignment was crucial to provide proper intersection sight distances and safe turning movements.
Because construction requires operating heavy machinery directly within sensitive wetlands and a skewed creek that needed to be realigned, SCDOT had to secure a federal US Army Corps of Engineers general environmental permit. This strict federal oversight is an important construction requirement which ensures the waterway is fully protected during construction and completely restored upon completion.
Right-of-way acquisition normally takes 12 months or more. To accelerate the timeline, the design team fast-tracked the 9 property acquisitions required for the project. Four properties granted immediate construction permission, while five required more lengthy, legal condemnation actions to clear property titles. (The Right of Way acquisition processes are needed to maintain the personal property rights of landowners.)
Additionally, the road realignment resulted in conflicts with existing water, gas, power, communications, fiber optics, TV/cable, and phone lines. Gas, fiber, cable and phone lines were moved at no cost to the project. All utilities had to be moved and completely resolved before bridge construction could begin.
So, from road closure to construction contract letting, the preconstruction portion took about 18 months. Given the amount of preconstruction work required for this project, this is faster than what many similar projects experience.
Construction
After preconstruction, actual construction work could begin:
* 06/25/25 - Project construction contract was Awarded
* 08/07/25 - Pre-Construction Conference was held and Notice to Proceed was issued to contractor
* 08/29/25 - Work Start Date - Installed Permanent Construction Signs
* From 8/29/25 to 11/26/25 - Prime Contractor completed the following:
* Cleared and Grubbed
* Graded and Performed Earthwork Operations
* Completed Mucking, Stone Bridge Lift Installations, and Stream Relocation
* Installed Stormwater Piping and a Drainage Box
* Installed Erosion Controls and Temporary Grassing
* Milled Asphalt off the Bridge Deck
* Completed Water Line Relocation - In Contract
* Completed Preliminary Paving of Re-Aligned Intersection
* 9/17/25 - Held Utility Meeting on Site
* 9/17/25 to 11/26/25 - Utility Relocation window established
* 3/2/26 to 3/4/26 - Crane Delivered
* 3/23/26 - Bridge Subcontractor Mobilized and Began Work
* 3/26/26 to 5/8/26 - Installed Piles
* Approximately 3/23/26 - 4/20/26 - Demolished Existing culvert and Excavated for Bents
* 5/8/26 to 6/23/26 - Forms done, rebar installed, bridge caps poured, and Wing Walls constructed
* Contractor is currently working on installing formwork for the bridge deck pour.
As referenced in previous response, items to be completed are:
* Forming and Pouring the Bridge Deck - working on formwork right now
* Installing the Uniaxial Geogrid at the Approaches (materials placed in soil layers under road beds or bridge approaches to reinforce them)
* Forming and Pouring the Approach Slabs
* Forming and Pouring the Parapet Walls (short walls along edge of bridge)
* Forming and Pouring the Curb and Gutter and Flumes
* Installing the Remaining Storm Drainage Boxes
* Grooving the Deck
* Installing Guardrail
* Making corrections to installed asphalt, and paving the final asphalt surface and driveways
* Installing Pavement Markings
* Installing Rumble Strips
* Installing Signage
* Permanent Stabilization.
I hope this information is helpful. We look forward to the new bridge being completed and opened soon. Thank you.
-SCDOT
Meredith Anderson WRDW Will Rioux WRDW Shawn Cabbagestalk WJBF
