SC-DOT, G-DOT to Study Replacement of State Line Bridge on I-85

WLHR News has learned of a proposed project to renovate the bridge that spans Lake Hartwell on I-85 from Georgia into South Carolina.

The proposed plan that both the South Carolina And Georgia Departments of Transportation are looking at would construct a new wider bridge over Lake Hartwell that would connect to a new South Carolina Welcome Center.

Sister station WGOG in Walhalla reached out to the SCDOT in Columbia, SC.

“SCDOT submitted a Bridge Investment Program (BIP) Planning Grant application in conjunction with the Georgia Department of Transportation in February 2024,” said  Kelly Moore, Director of Public Engagement for SCDOT. “The application requested $1.68M in BIP Planning funds for a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study for 2.5 miles on I-85.”

Moore said that stretch includes six bridges and straddles the Georgia and South Carolina border.

“If the grant is awarded, SCDOT and GDOT would use the grant funds to complete the Planning and Environmental Linkages Study, which is a necessary study that will help assess the current conditions and recommend appropriate replacement or rehabilitation options for the bridges,” Moore added.

Over the past several years, Georgia DOT has been renovating or replacing bridges over I-85 from the state line with South Carolina down to metro Atlanta.

One of the state-line bridge design proposals would move the bridge over to connect it to a new South Carolina Welcome Center, according to Fair Play, SC officials.

No word on when South Carolina and Georgia DOT’s will get the results of the grant application.

WLHR News has reached out to G-DOT for their side of this story and will bring you that information if and when they respond.