Sen. Tom Davis presented a plan to eliminate the roughly $190 million shortfall for the U.S. 278 Corridor Project at a Hilton Head Town Council workshop Thursday afternoon. His proposal focused on completing critical portions of the project within the existing almost $300 million budget, avoiding property tax increases and preserving other traffic initiatives.
The project, originally designed to replace the aging eastbound Mackay Creek Bridge and improve traffic flow between Moss Creek Drive and Spanish Wells Road, has faced delays due to rising costs and a failed sales tax referendum . The total project cost is estimated at $488 million, leaving a significant funding gap.
Davis — who represents Beaufort and Jasper Counties and played a key role in securing initial funding — outlined a plan at the workshop to reallocate $250 million in state funds, including contributions from the State Infrastructure Bank, the South Carolina Department of Transportation and existing local funds, to construct a new three-lane eastbound bridge. This new structure would replace the structurally deficient sections of the existing eastbound span, extending from Moss Creek on the mainland to Windmill Harbor on Hilton Head Island.
The structurally sound westbound spans, which he said are expected to remain in good condition for another 20 or more years, would continue to serve traffic leaving the island. The reconfiguration could then create three lanes heading onto the island and two lanes heading off, with the possibility to adjust the direction of traffic in one lane based on demand, he added.
By using state funds for the new eastbound bridge, $40 million in local funding would be freed up for improvements to the section of the corridor from Windmill Harbor to the Cross Island Parkway, Davis said. This area has been the subject of debate, with differing opinions on whether to include overpasses to eliminate traffic lights or to keep the current configurations. Davis said his plan prioritizes fixing the most urgent infrastructure needs first while allowing local stakeholders to focus their discussions on this area…