National Bridge Inventory: South Carolina



  • The state has identified needed repairs on 2,134 bridges.
  • This compares to 2,042 bridges that needed work in 2021.
  • Over the life of the IIJA, South Carolina will receive a total of $296.2 million in bridge formula funds, which will help make needed repairs.
  • South Carolina currently has access to $237.0 million of that total, and has committed $127.6 million towards 36 projects as of June 2025.
  • Of the 9,504 bridges in the state, 602, or 6.3 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. This means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.
  • This is up from 499 bridges classified as structurally deficient in 2021.
  • The deck area of structurally deficient bridges accounts for 5.6 percent of total deck area on all structures.

Top Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges in South Carolina

County Year Built Daily Crossings Type of Bridge Location
Greenville 1960 113,800 Urban Interstate I-85 over Trib Laurel Crk
Charleston 1963 94,100 Urban Interstate I-26 over RR CSXt
Horry 1958 56,800 Urban other principal arterial US 501 Byp over U.S.701
Horry 1958 56,800 Urban other principal arterial US 501 Byp over Waccamaw River
Charleston 1953 47,800 Urban other principal arterial SC 7 over Ashley River
Greenville 1939 47,300 Urban other principal arterial US 29 over Mountain Creek
Greenville 1939 47,300 Urban other principal arterial US 29 over Enoree River
Newberry 1960 42,700 Rural Interstate I-26 over Cannons Creek
Greenville 1934 41,300 Urban other principal arterial US 276 over P and N RR.
Berkeley 1961 39,100 Urban minor arterial S-8-62 over I-26
Horry 1948 38,600 Urban other principal arterial US 501 over Crabtree Swamp
Charleston 1961 38,250 Urban other principal arterial US 17 NB over Ashley River
Charleston 1947 37,500 Urban other principal arterial SC 703 over Shem Creek
Greenville 1960 37,200 Urban other principal arterial US 29 over C-23-75/60736071
Richland 1976 36,350 Urban Interstate I-77 SB over US 21
Sumter 1967 33,200 Rural Interstate I-95 over Hope Swamp
Richland 1977 31,000 Urban other principal arterial US 1 over I-77
Greenville 1968 30,600 Urban other principal arterial US 123 over L-3199/Reedy River
Greenville 1959 30,500 Urban other principal arterial US 29 over Reedy River
Berkeley 1944 29,000 Rural arterial US 52/US 17 Alt over Cooper River
Beaufort 1956 28,950 Urban other principal arterial US 278 EB over Mackay Creek
Spartanburg 1958 27,100 Urban minor arterial SC 9 over SC 85
Georgetown 1966 25,600 Rural arterial US 17 over Waccamaw River
Horry 1948 25,600 Rural arterial US 501 over Chinners Swamp
Horry 1948 25,600 Rural arterial US 501 over Brunson Creek

Bridge Inventory: South Carolina

Type of Bridge Number of Bridges Area of All Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on All Bridges Number of Structurally Deficient Bridges Area of Structurally Deficient Bridges
(sq. meters)
Daily Crossings on Structurally Deficient Bridges
Rural Interstate 336 451,259 8,552,575 8 25,578 209,900
Rural arterial 482 779,763 3,549,239 35 72,023 331,150
Rural minor arterial 726 779,077 3,392,817 48 34,019 204,100
Rural major collector 2,110 850,115 2,933,830 138 49,796 177,950
Rural minor collector 444 117,142 164,850 27 7,178 6,600
Rural local road 2,573 576,002 756,139 184 31,419 50,720
Urban Interstate 413 1,211,676 15,591,950 6 11,834 312,950
Urban freeway/expressway 111 288,552 2,062,689 3 19,510 54,600
Urban other principal arterial 405 1,053,423 8,835,921 25 79,439 704,300
Urban minor arterial 574 705,868 6,915,125 46 53,145 518,400
Urban collector 625 321,428 2,892,525 39 18,059 139,600
Urban local road 705 215,910 711,164 43 8,665 37,975
Total 9,504 7,350,214 56,358,824 602 410,665 2,748,245

Proposed Bridge Work

Type of Work Number of Bridges Cost to Repair
(in millions)
Daily Crossings Area of Bridges
(sq. meters)
Bridge replacement 825 $1,406 3,729,551 680,287
Widening & rehabilitation 873 $1,269 7,649,911 905,054
Rehabilitation 422 $383 2,176,650 270,225
Deck rehabilitation/replacement 0 $0 0 0
Other structural work 14 $29 85,685 20,069
Total 2,134 $3,086 13,641,797 1,875,635

About the data:

Data and cost estimates are from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

Effective January 1, 2018, FHWA changed the definition of structurally deficient as part of the final rule on highway and bridge performance measures, published May 20, 2017 pursuant to the 2012 federal aid highway bill Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21). Two measures that were previously used to classify bridges as structurally deficient are no longer used. This includes bridges where the overall structural evaluation was rated in poor or worse condition, or where the adequacy of waterway openings was insufficient.

The new definition limits the classification to bridges where one of the key structural elements—the deck, superstructure, substructure or culverts, are rated in poor or worse condition. During inspection, the conditions of a variety of bridge elements are rated on a scale of 0 (failed condition) to 9 (excellent condition). A rating of 4 is considered “poor” condition.

Cost estimates have been derived by ARTBA, based on 2023 average bridge replacement costs for structures on and off the National Highway System, published by FHWA. Bridge rehabilitation costs are estimated to be 68 percent of replacement costs. A bridge is considered to need repair if the structure has identified repairs as part of the NBI, a repair cost estimate is supplied by the bridge owner or the bridge is classified as structurally deficient. Please note that for a few states, the number of bridges needing to be repaired can vary significantly from year to year, and reflects the data entered by the state.

Bridges are classified by FHWA into types based on the functional classification of the roadway on the bridge. Interstates comprise routes officially designated by the Secretary of Transportation. Other principal arterials serve major centers of urban areas or provide mobility through rural areas. Freeways and expressways have directional lanes generally separated by a physical barrier, and access/egress points generally limited to on- and off-ramps. Minor arterials serve smaller areas and are used for trips of moderate length. Collectors funnel traffic from local roads to the arterial network; major collectors have higher speed limits and traffic volumes and are longer in length and spaced at greater intervals, while minor collectors are shorter and provide service to smaller communities. Local roads do not carry through traffic and are intended for short distance travel.

24
Compared to 25 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 19.0%
23. Wisconsin 7.0%
24. South Carolina 6.0%
25. Mississippi 6.0%

24
Compared to 24 in 2024

in the nation in # of structurally deficient bridges

1. Iowa 4,424
23. Minnesota 609
24. South Carolina 602
25. Alabama 545

22
Compared to 26 in 2024

in the nation in % of structurally deficient bridge deck area

1. West Virginia 13.0%
21. District of Columbia 6.0%
22. South Carolina 6.0%
23. California 6.0%
Full State Ranking

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  • Source: Data is from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory (NBI), downloaded on June 24, 2025. Note that specific conditions on bridges may have changed as a result of recent work or updated inspections.

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