The Lake Marion bridge replacement project was awarded a $175 million federal grant to replace aging structures on Interstate 95 in South Carolina.
According to the South Carolina Department of Transportation, four bridges with narrow shoulders and roadway approaches in Clarendon and Orangeburg counties do not meet current design standards.
“The new configuration calls for a single structure carrying three lanes in each direction of I-95 … with future capacity to expand to four lanes,” state transportation officials said.
The South Carolina DOT also highlighted the importance of this route as a major freight corridor.
.@USDOT @SecDuffy announced a $175M grant agreement to @SCDOTPress to replace the I-95 bridges over Lake Marion, a vital route for the East Coast. This marks the first Bridge Investment Program grant agreement under the Trump Administration — tackling a backlog of unfulfilled… pic.twitter.com/hwaGNAU7Bu
— Federal Highway Admn (@USDOTFHWA) April 24, 2025
On the Lake Marion project website, officials said portions of the I-95 bridges are currently in fair condition – but that is likely to change in the near future, based upon National Bridge Inventory analysis.
“By 2025, the bridges will be in poor condition and may require load restrictions,” SCDOT said. “The lack of proper bridge deck thickness results in a high rate of deterioration, especially in this corridor with a high percentage of heavy trucks.”
Additionally, I-95 serves as a hurricane evacuation route and a primary link to Lake Marion, with the other nearest crossings approximately 20 miles away.
These bridges must be replaced while the current structures can still operate safely and functionally to maintain current demand, SCDOT said.
Construction on the Lake Marion bridge project is set for summer 2025, according to state transportation officials.
Funding plans
Several states have publicly expressed concerns over the lack of availability of federal funding for projects – including the Brent Spence Bridge and Rhode Island’s Washington Bridge – while Kentucky, South Dakota, Pennsylvania and Alabama are among states that have utilized local grants to fund bridge improvement projects.
In April 2025, a U.S. DOT news release said a backlog of “roughly 3,200 unobligated grants” was inherited from the previous administration. LL
Read more Land Line coverage of news from South Carolina.
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