North Carolina Construction News staff writer
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), on Tuesday broke ground on the replacement of the Interstate 95 bridges over Lake Marion, a major infrastructure project aimed at improving safety, reliability and mobility along one of the East Coast’s busiest freight and passenger routes.
The project will replace the existing northbound and southbound bridges, originally built in the 1960s, with modern structures designed to meet current engineering standards and reduce long-term maintenance needs. Work also includes upgrades to the surrounding roadway approaches. Construction will be phased to minimize traffic disruptions and is expected to take several years.
The $175 million project is funded in part by a federal discretionary grant, one of the largest ever awarded to SCDOT, under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bridge Investment Program. The grant agreement followed efforts by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to secure federal support for the critical corridor.
“Today’s groundbreaking is a proud moment for Team South Carolina and a testament to what can be accomplished when state and federal partners work together to deliver for the people of South Carolina,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. “These new bridges will strengthen one of our most important transportation corridors, improve safety for drivers, and help drive continued economic development across our state.”
U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn said the project will enhance safety, reliability and economic efficiency along the I-95 corridor, which carries thousands of vehicles daily, including a high volume of commercial traffic.
Federal officials highlighted the project’s national significance. Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster said the investment exemplifies the Trump Administration’s focus on modernizing infrastructure and “putting shovels in the ground to deliver for South Carolina’s transportation needs, not just for South Carolina today, but for its future.”
SCDOT Secretary Justin Powell called the replacement a “major milestone” that will support economic growth and keep people and goods moving efficiently for decades.