The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has been awarded a $250,000 federal grant to develop new technologies to improve the quality and safety of the U.S. 378 Pee Dee River Bridge in Florence and Marion counties.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) awarded nearly $5.3 million in grants to projects in 25 states to help develop new technologies to speed bridge construction and make them safer, according to FHWA.

SCDOT’s proposed innovation for future replacement of structurally deficient Pee Dee River bridge in Florence and Marion counties was one of 29 projects selected from 96 grant applications.

“The Pee Dee River Bridge is a key lifeline in the Pee Dee region,” said SCDOT Commissioner Marvin Stevenson, representing the 6th Congressional District. “We are in the design phase of this project and being awarded a grant to help construct this bridge safer and faster is certainly good news for the citizens of South Carolina. I would like to thank the Federal Highway Administration for awarding this grant, and I also appreciate the work by SCDOT staff in making the application.”

As part of this grant, SCDOT will investigate the use of pre-cast prefabricated piers consisting of 60-in. to 66-in. diameter hollow core cylinder piles as an alternate to drilled shafts. Cylinder piles can provide improved constructability and are produced off-site in a controlled environment away from traffic.

“This project will provide the opportunity to implement a bridge technology that will allow for accelerated construction,” said Bener Amado, assistant program manager for SCDOT.

Construction on the replacement bridge may begin as early as 2009 if funding becomes available.

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