I-526 eastbound reopens after repairs to steel expansion joint causes backups for hours

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – All lanes of I-526 eastbound have reopened to traffic after crews completed necessary work to repair a steel expansion joint that came loose on Friday morning.

The Charleston Police Department closed two travel lanes on the Don Holt Bridge shortly after 10:00 a.m. to repair a broken piece of metal that was stuck in the road.

The closure caused traffic to back up on I-526 and I-26 for several hours during the repair process.

Police said that a steel expansion joint on the stretch of the interstate just past the bridge came loose during the morning hours, damaging several tires.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation was called in to make the repairs, which took more than three hours.

All eastbound lanes of I-526 were reopened around 2:00 p.m.