SOCASTEE, SC (WBTW) – The long-anticipated opening of the S.C. Highway 31 extension remains on target as rework on a cracked section nears completion.
Officials with the South Carolina Department of Transportation said on Wednesday the rework of the cracked section of the bridge is nearly complete. The construction company’s schedule shows the roadway being open to the public in November, according to Lauren Roeder with SCDOT.
Many factors contributed to the delay of the opening, including four separate hurricanes. Most recently, 150 feet of pavement on the new bridge started to crack shortly after it was installed. SCDOT said the construction contractor, Flatiron Construction, is to blame. Flatiron hired a subcontractor to rework the cracked surface and the work is nearly complete, SCDOT reported.
Currently, some other contract work items remain that must be completed before the project can be considered finished and opened to traffic, according to Roeder. “Flatiron is working on completing the remaining contract items. Flatiron’s schedule shows the roadway being opened to traffic in November of 2019.”
Flatiron is being fined $5,000 per day for their part in the project’s delay. Flatiron will continue to pay the fine until the project is finished. As of March 31, when the project was 587 days late, Flatiron owed $2,935,000. That money will be deducted from the final project cost.
The extension was originally scheduled to be finished in June 2017.
