Structure 7069 · Beaufort County, SC

US 278 EB over Palmetto Lagoon

Carries US 278 EB over Palmetto Lagoon, Hilton Head Island.

Overall conditionGood

Set by its lowest-rated component: Deck and Superstructure and Substructure at 7 of 9.

How ratings work
Decksets the rating7/9 · Good
Superstructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Substructuresets the rating7/9 · Good
Channelnot part of overall7/9 · Good
0 failed4 poor6 fair9 excellent

Elevation

Side view, colored by inspection rating
SEMI-TRUCK · 72 FT132 FT OVERALL25 FT0ELEVATION · LENGTHS TO SCALE
Deck 7/9Superstructure 7/9Substructure 7/9

132 ft end to end, longest span 22 ft. Lengths and the semi-truck on the deck are drawn to the same scale. Each part is colored by its latest inspection rating. The inventory records lengths but not heights or the layout of the shorter spans, so those are drawn as typical for a slab bridge.

Built197848 years old
Length131.9 ft40.2 m
Daily traffic13,600counted 2023
Last inspectedJuly 2024every 24 months

Location

StateSouth Carolina
CountyBeaufort
LocationHilton Head Island
CarriesUS 278 EB
CrossesPalmetto Lagoon
Coordinates32.18025, -80.72467

Physical Characteristics

MaterialConcrete
DesignSlab
Total Length131.9 ft (40.2 m)
Max Span22.0 ft (6.7 m)
Deck Width42.7 ft (13 m)
Deck Area522.6 sq m
Main Spans6
Year Built1978

Traffic

Avg Daily Traffic13,600 (2023)
Truck Traffic3%
Lanes On Bridge2

Inspection & Ownership

Last InspectionJuly 2024
Inspection FrequencyEvery 24 months
OwnerState Highway Agency
Historical SignificanceBridge is not eligible for the National Register
Scour Critical8 — Stable, low risk
Structure Number000000000007069

How Bridge Ratings Work

Inspectors rate each major part of a bridge (the deck you drive on, the superstructure of beams that holds it up, and the substructure of piers and abutments beneath) on a 0–9 scale. A bridge's overall condition is its lowest of those ratings, so one deteriorated component makes the whole bridge "poor."

0Failed
1Imminent failure
2Critical
3Serious
4Poor
5Fair
6Satisfactory
7Good
8Very good
9Excellent
Good · lowest component 7–9
Fair · lowest component 5–6
Poor · lowest component 0–4

A poor rating is not a closure. It means the bridge is flagged for priority repair or replacement; bridges judged unsafe are closed or posted with weight limits. The waterway (channel) rating is reported, but it does not count toward the overall classification.

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