County engineer updates council on revised US‑278 eastbound bridge; federal grant still pending

Jared Frix of Bufort County told the Town of Hilton Head Island council at a workshop on April 28 that the long‑planned US‑278 corridor project has been rescoped to a replacement of the eastbound bridge to address structural deficiencies rather than the broader widening and congestion work originally envisioned. Frix said the revised project is roughly 60% through design and that the team is preparing to submit a federal NEPA document that could allow right‑of‑way acquisition to begin.

Frix said the revised alignment will keep the new eastbound span elevated across Pinkney Island rather than touching down on the island, and that a loop road under the bridges will provide right‑in/right‑out access to Pinkney Island’s northern entrance. He said the structure will be sized for three lanes and striped for two until on‑island and mainland improvements are added later.

"We are building a three‑lane bridge, but it will be striped for two lanes," Frix said, adding that the structure is designed to modern seismic and longevity standards and has an expected design life of 75 years. He said the town and county are working with U.S. Fish and Wildlife on major right‑of‑way work affecting Pinkney Island.

Frix also updated the council on a large federal bridge grant the county and town co‑applied for in August. He said the team has not yet received a decision from Federal Highway and that conversations in Washington suggested decisions could come "anytime," though he stressed uncertainty: "Who knows when and if we'll hear back on the grant."

When asked about cost, Frix said the revised project estimate is $311 million and that the current scope is being advanced with the funds that are in hand. He said if the federal grant is awarded, the county and DOT would need to decide whether to pause the revised project and resume the larger corridor scope; if the grant is not awarded the town will continue the revised project on its present schedule. He also said inspectors will increase bridge inspections to annual cycles and DOT is prepared to make temporary fixes if needed while longer‑term work proceeds.

The council followed the briefing with questions about timing and contingencies. Frix described a schedule that anticipates final design in about a year, bid procurement in late 2027 and construction start in early 2028, with a target completion in summer 2030 if the timeline holds. He cautioned that the pace could shift depending on federal decisions and permitting.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the update into the town's corridor planning and continue coordination with county and state partners; the town manager asked for clear council direction on how to proceed and to return with recommended next steps on schedule and funding as the NEPA and design work advance.