Town hears SCDOT options and high cost pressure for William Milton Parkway bridge

Assistant Town Manager Sean Cohen told the Hilton Head Island Town Council on Feb. 4 that the South Carolina Department of Transportation has outlined six potential approaches to the William Milton Parkway Gateway Corridor project, from a limited ‘‘lifeline’’ bridge replacement to a full corridor reconstruction.

Cohen summarized the options presented by SCDOT and said the department provided ballpark cost estimates: roughly $258 million for a lifeline replacement that would build a three‑lane bridge striped for two lanes now but designed for four in the future; about $320 million for a similar lifeline option that includes a multi‑use pedestrian and bicycle path; $274 million and $340 million estimates for more-extensive three‑lane designs without and with a multi‑use path, respectively; and a larger full‑project cost roughly in the $467 million range. Cohen said SCDOT reported it has experienced “approximately 70% increase in project costs and escalation over the past few years,” and that those escalations affect the corridor options.

Why it matters: the corridor is a regional priority that will require intergovernmental coordination, choices about multimodal elements such as bike and pedestrian paths, and clarity on funding and phasing. Cohen said SCDOT also discussed delivery approaches including a potential design‑build procurement that could reveal the most cost‑effective combination of features.

Council questions focused on constructability, impacts to island roads and neighborhoods, utility relocation costs, and whether reversible lanes or tolling could be options. Cohen said SCDOT opposes reversible lanes on safety and cost grounds and noted state law generally prevents tolling an existing free facility, though building a new tolled bypass could be considered and would require environmental review and toll studies.

Next steps: Cohen said SCDOT recommended continued coordination through the Lowcountry Area Transportation Study (the MPO) and suggested a joint town–county resolution clarifying project scope and funding strategy for submission to the State Infrastructure Bank. He announced a joint public meeting of the town and Beaufort County councils for Feb. 12 to review SCDOT proposals, funding options and a draft joint resolution.

What council did: the council heard the briefing and agreed to continue the coordinated process with county partners and SCDOT; no formal action on project selection was taken.