Transportation Secretary H.B. “Buck” Limehouse Jr. has announced that the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has received a grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Innovative Bridge Research & Deployment program.

               The $300,000 grant will assist in the design phase for the replacement of five bridges on Red Bluff Road, a highway that crosses the Waccamaw River Swamp in Horry County. Local drivers typically use this road as a connector between SC 905 and SC 90. The funds will be used for preliminary engineering, the testing of pre-stressed piles and precast caps and the construction of the caps.

               FHWA has made $4.125 million available each year in this program involving bridge projects. South Carolina was one of 15 states that successfully applied for the grants.

               The replacement of these bridges will require a complete closing of Red Bluff Road, with three detours being employed. However, the technology being funded by the FHWA grant will allow SCDOT to accelerate the construction of the new bridges which will reduce the amount time the road will be closed and the detours will be in place.

                Secretary Limehouse said the amount of the grant may appear to be small, but it will significantly benefit the public. “Any grant that will save our tax-paying citizens any amount of money is worth pursuing. In the case of this project, the $300,000 will also reduce the inconvenience that drivers in that area will experience and make new and safer bridges available to them much faster,” said Limehouse.

               Following the design and preliminary engineering process, this project is scheduled to go out for bids in the spring of 2011.

A photo of one of the existing bridges is available at this link:

http://www.scdot-transfer.org/scdotphotos/S31.jpg

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