Beresford Creek Bridge replacement project delayed by permitting

The Beresford Creek Bridge replacement project was slated to be underway in June of this year. However, the bridge’s timeline is still in limbo and continues to stretch beyond its expected start and completion time frame.
 
The bridge, road and hydraulic designs are 100% complete, according to the city’s Director of Public Service, Tom O’Brien. The only hold up right now is that the utility relocation permits are being reviewed by the Army Corps of Engineers and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource management.
 
“There’s nothing we can do,” O’Brien said. “We’ve submitted all of the information and (the permits) are in que for review. We’re just kind of at their mercy… Unfortunately, we’re kind of in a waiting process.”
 
O’Brien noted that the permit status is being checked upon weekly at utility coordination meetings. He said the delay is not due to any complications but simply the volume of permits the agencies are currently processing.
 
Once the permits are approved, the city will initiate the bidding process and a contract will be awarded. O’Brien indicated that a typical bid period lasts up to 30 days. 
 
Once the bidding is complete, construction is slated to take 8-10 months. During that time frame, which could start as early as this fall or late as winter or the beginning of 2023, the bridge will be fully shut down and untraversable for motorists, cyclists or pedestrians.   
 
The newly constructed bridge will feature two 11-foot lanes and 4-foot shoulders and an 8-foot multi-use path. There are no changes to the $2.5 million project’s cost or other engineering specs. The funding for the project will come from the city’s general fund. Neither SCDOT nor Charleston or Berkeley County have any ownership in the project. 
 
The bridge replacement’s goals include: replacing the load restricted bridge to allow un-restricted vehicle access; improving corridor bicycle and pedestrian mobility; minimizing environmental impacts by maintaining existing alignment and increasing opening below bridge for improved hydraulic flow. 
 
However, the bridge’s replacement does come with an inconvenience fee to residents and commuters. The on and off ramps for I-526 East and West will be the only means of entering or leaving the island for business, recreation or emergency evacuation. 
 
In 2019, an inspection conducted by the South Carolina Department of Transportation yielded findings of deterioration on one of the bridge beams. The weight limit was reduced to 10 tons per vehicle with 5 tons per axle. The original bridge, designed by Thomas & Hutton Engineering, was constructed in 1994-95 of concrete and timber. 
 
After SCDOT’s assessment three years ago, which included an emergency installation of a steel plate for support, it was determined that it needed to be replaced within one to five years. Inspections have continued to occur monthly to ensure that the bridge is safe at its current load.
 

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