Councilsaternate move toward scaled William Hilton Parkway bridge scope as funding, SIB deadline loom

Beaufort County Council and the Town of Hilton Head Island met jointly to review six South Carolina Department of Transportation project options and a draft joint resolution that would scale the William Hilton Parkway Gateway Corridor project to match currently identified funding. South Carolina DOT presented cost estimates for six alternatives; staff and elected officials discussed funding, engineering costs not yet included in earlier totals, community safety spending for the Stoney neighborhood, and next steps toward adoption of a joint resolution for consideration at the next county meeting.

The discussion matters because DOT has rated the existing eastbound bridge in deteriorating condition and the State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) has set March 31 as a decision deadline tied to continuing project funding. Without a revised, agreed scope before that date the SIB could modify or withdraw funds, which would alter which options remain feasible and could delay construction planned for 2027.

DOT project manager Craig Wynne summarized the six options and their estimated all‑in construction costs. Option 1 — described in staff materials as the “lifeline” eastbound replacement without a multiuse path and including a Hog Island connector — was shown at roughly $257.7 million for bridge work alone; adding a multiuse path increases that option to about $319 million. Wynne also presented higher estimates for the full two‑span replacement (approximately $467 million) and a single eastbound Mackay/Mackie Creek span replacement (about $89 million). Wynne said the proposed new eastbound bridge would be built wide enough to accommodate a future third lane and shoulders, and that a multiuse path…