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SCDOT outlines funding gap and timeline for Mackay Creek eastbound bridge and major I‑95 improvements
Summary
Craig Wynn of SCDOT told the Beaufort County advisory committee that the eastbound Mackay Creek/Skull Creek bridge replacement is about 60% designed, has a federal bridge grant pending, and is tentatively being let in late 2027 with construction starting early 2028; he also summarized large I‑95 corridor work and a $728 million contract for a major segment.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation told Beaufort County’s advisory committee on Feb. 25 that major regional projects are advancing but still face funding and scheduling uncertainty.
"We have somewhere between 6 and a half and $7,000,000,000 in projects under construction statewide right now," said Craig Wynn, SCDOT’s Lowcountry program manager, outlining the department’s 10‑year plan to maintain bridges, accelerate interstate widening and support regional mobility.
Wynn gave a focused update on the eastbound Mackay Creek/Skull Creek bridge replacement—part of a corridor project previously studied in 2017 and 2018. He said design is roughly 60% complete, right‑of‑way plans are arriving, environmental approvals are anticipated this summer and the project is set up so the new eastbound structure can be built without major traffic impacts. "We're letting in late 2027. Construction will start in early 2028," he said, but added the county and SCDOT are still pursuing funding and that a federal bridge grant application is pending.
On project scope, Wynn said the eastbound bridge will be built to accommodate a future third lane but must be striped as two lanes until adjoining roadway widening occurs because of federal NEPA/logical‑termini rules. "It's built for future needs," Wynn said, "but it has to go back as two lanes until that happens."
Wynn also reviewed I‑95 corridor work and the FixTheDrive95 project website. He described three segments in the Lowcountry with interchange and bridge improvements and noted a major single contract for the 0‑8 segment at roughly $728 million with an estimated overall completion around 2030 for the corridor portion under construction.
Committee members asked whether the state or county is the grant applicant for the larger six‑lane project; staff said the state is the lead applicant and the county is a joint partner. Staff described a federal grant request for about $273 million toward the full originally proposed six‑lane project; county resources now under consideration amount to about $300 million targeted at the eastbound bridge replacement. If the federal grant is awarded, staff said it would enable the broader project; if not, the county will proceed with the eastbound bridge work already advanced.
Why it matters: the bridge and interstate projects carry hundreds of millions of dollars in potential construction and will shape regional traffic flows and freight movements. Committee members pressed for clarity on funding timeline and whether interim repaving or spot maintenance could be done while larger projects await full funding; SCDOT said crews had addressed an expansion‑joint issue on the existing bridge and would look into localized pavement repairs.
Next steps: SCDOT and county staff are awaiting the federal decision on the bridge grant and will update the committee when funding direction is clear. The DOT also will continue to refine cost estimates and work with municipalities and the committee to reconcile list priorities.
