LITTLE RIVER (WBTW) -UPDATE: The South Carolina Department of Transportation plans to reopen Sea Mountain Highway at the Little River swing bridge near North Myrtle Beach on 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
SCDOT temporarily shut down Sea Mountain Highway at the Little River swing bridge near North Myrtle Beach Thursday evening.
North Myrtle Beach city spokesperson Pat Dowling says the bridge is being temporarily closed due to repairs until further notice.
Robert Kudelka with SCDOT says the bridge’s 6-ton gear box was damaged by a failed bearing and it now is in need of repairs. SCDOT crews have provided a detour for all traffic. The swing bridge will be left in the open position to allow boats to continue going down the Intercoastal Waterway..
The DOT says the bridge was built in the 1930s and renovated in 2005. It opens about 900 times a year.
The fixed four-lane state Highway 9 bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway sits several hundred yards away.
