US 21 from the City of Beaufort to Hunting Island State Park was designated as a State Scenic Highway and the narrow Harbor River Bridge is a focal point. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced – with construction from 2018-2020 as part of the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).
We encourage SCDOT to consider bird and wetland species and select the least impactful alternative. For the new design, we ask SCDOT to add bike lanes to the new bridge, which will connect to bike lanes on each side and enabling bicycle travel across St. Helena and to Hunting Island State Park.
Earlier in the process, we also requested that SCDOT consider a moveable span design (similar to the current design), instead of a fixed span bridge. A fixed span bridge would need to be 65 feet above the water line to meet Coast Guard standards for boat travel; this impacts the view shed along the scenic highway, from Hunting Island State Park and potentially from Edisto Island. A moveable span alternative has been eliminated from their environmental assessment. We will ask the SCDOT to elaborate on why, and if this alternative could still be viable.
You can read the Environmental Assessment here. http://www.scdot.org/inside/public_hearings.aspx