SCDOT talks future of Don Holt, Wando bridges amid the Baltimore bridge collapse

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD)- Following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore, many people here in the Lowcountry are paying more attention to the integrity of our bridges.

The Baltimore bridge collapse has been the top headline for the last 24 hours and for the Lowcountry. It brought conversations about our bridges to the forefront, specifically the Wando and Don Holt.

Business owner Neil Lucado on Daniel Island says she feels nervous on her drive to and from work: “I go over the Wando bridge twice a day. It’s scary, very, very scary.”

Lucado says she’s not the only one who feels that way.

“As a store owner, I hear from customers all the time they don’t want to leave the island. That they’re very afraid of getting on that bridge,” Lucado said.

While the Wando Bridge and the Don Holt are both deemed safe for travel, the South Carolina Department of Transportation says they had plans in the works to replace the bridges, even before the tragedy in Baltimore.

“As you know, with 526 itself, those bridges are getting older,” SCDOT Secretary of Transportation Christy Hall said.

SCDOT says the replacements will be a part of the I-526 widening project and benefit the economy.

“Don Holt is in good shape, but it’s too low, especially for the needs of the port, and if you look at the Wando Bridge, obviously, we’ve had issues with that bridge over the last several years, so we’re looking to replace it,” Hall said.

SCDOT says the work on the bridges will be in 2030.