Harbor River Bridge replacement planned for 2018

Harbor River Bridge replacement planned for 2018

Harbor Island Bridge to be replaced in 2018
Harbor Island Bridge to be replaced in 2018. Photo courtesy James Boatright

The original plan to say goodbye to the narrow Harbor Island Bridge connecting St. Helena Island to Hunting Island State Park has been pushed back another year and is now scheduled for 2018.

The process is still moving forward with environmental and engineering studies ongoing, but actual construction will most likely not be started until 2018.

The current bridge is 78 years old and is considered structurally deficient, according to the SC Department of Transportation. It was built in 1939 by the Works Progress Administration under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt New Deal to put people to work during the Great Depression.

Original plans for the $56 million project were to replace the swing bridge with a fixed span similar to the Broad River Bridge and add pedestrian walkways to both sides with safety shoulders to make it safer for motorists and emergency vehicles.

 

Harbor Island Bridge to be replaced in 2017
The current bridge at age 78 can provide quite a hairy ride when crossing. Photo courtesy Dawn Ramsey