Columbia, S.C. (February 18, 2026) - The South Carolina Department of Transportation requests public comments on plans to replace the S-45-30 (Simms Reach Road) bridge over the Black River in Williamsburg County, including a 1.5-acre right-of-way acquisition from an area proposed for the future development of Black River State Park.
SCDOT would acquire the right of way for a necessary realignment of Doc Kellahan Road where it meets Simms Reach Road, adjacent to the bridge replacement project. The Doc Kellahan Road realignment will allow for better driver visibility in accordance with modern engineering standards and safer turning movements for all types of vehicles. The road realignment is an integral part of the bridge replacement project because of the road's proximity to the bridge. SCDOT has proposed to replace the bridge because of its age and condition.
The majority of SCDOT's proposed right-of-way acquisition for this project is property owned by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SCPRT) and proposed to become part of Black River State Park. SCDOT would need to acquire 1.5 acres of the total 143.22 acre parcel owned by SCPRT.
SCDOT has worked collaboratively with SCPRT to develop a plan to minimize negative impacts on the proposed park. SCDOT seeks to proceed with the bridge replacement project while planning to avoid affecting the qualities, activities, features, or other attributes of the proposed park.
After construction, SCDOT intends to return to SCPRT as much of the 1.5 acres as possible for future park use, aside from right-of-way that SCDOT must retain for regular road and bridge maintenance. SCDOT will continue to coordinate with SCPRT throughout the project.
How to Comment
Any interested person may provide comments with respect to any possible social, economic, and environmental effect on the proposal. Comments must be received by March 11, 2026. Comments may be submitted in writing to Michael Pitts, P.E., Program Manager, SCDOT, P.O. Box 191, Columbia, SC 29202. Comments may also be submitted through the project website at projectportal.scdot.org/bridge-package-22, or by e-mail to PittsME@scdot.org.
About this Notice
SCDOT plans for minimal overall impact on proposed Black River State Park and will seek concurrence of a de minimis finding from the applicable state and federal agencies. For publicly owned public parks, recreation areas, and wildlife and waterfowl refuges, a de minimis impact is one that will not adversely affect the activities, features, or attributes of the public lands, commonly known as Section 4(f) properties.
Section 4(f) refers to the original section within the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 which provided for consideration of park and recreation lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites during transportation project development. The law, now codified in 49 U.S.C. §303 and 23 U.S.C. §138, applies only to the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) and is implemented by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration through the regulation 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 774.