The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) plans to replace two bridges on Lester Road over the Little Pee Dee River and the Little Pee Dee Swamp in Dillon County. Both bridges will be replaced using the Design Build process to expedite the completion of the projects.
The two bridges on Lester Road were impacted by Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and have been closed due to foundation problems which made the bridges unsafe for the public. The replacement of the bridges was complicated by environmental impacts, additional bridge condition evaluations, and impacts to the adjacent boat ramp.
The Design Build process allows SCDOT to shorten the timeline for these projects by procuring a contractor to both design and build the bridges on a compressed schedule.
SCDOT plans to advertise the project for Design Build on May 2, 2018 and execute a contract this summer. Construction would then begin in the fall of 2018 and is scheduled to be completed by late summer of 2019.