Fact Check: There’s a big crack in this SC bridge. Is it dangerous? Here’s what we found

Drivers have been raising concerns over a Horry County bridge — and it’s not the first time.

The latest round of concern for the US 501 Bypass over US Highway 701 heading into Conway sprung up on social media, with Facebook users questioning the bridge’s structural integrity.

Although the South Carolina Department of Transportation conducts annual inspections in July, crews inspected the bridge again this January due to driver concerns. Despite the cracks, the department deemed the bridge safe.

“SCDOT wants to reassure drivers that the bridge is safe and structurally sound,” SCDOT media relations manager Hannah Robinson said.

The bridge was built in 1958 and underwent construction in 1976 to widen the structure. According to SCDOT, new concrete poured during past work created the cracks, which “can be a usual occurrence.”

Mechanic Jacob Lewis, who works next to the bridge, says that objects falling from cars traveling above is a daily occurrence, but debris from the bridge falls “randomly” and rarely.

“Sometimes you get stuff falling off, I guess just rust and metal and stuff like that ... I guess from the underneath structure, but most of the time it’s stuff just coming over top of it,” Lewis said.

Poor bridge conditions in Horry County

A report by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association analyzing data Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Bridge Inventory data lists the 501 Bypass as one of the most-traveled structurally deficient bridges in South Carolina.

While the FHWA retired use of the term “structurally deficient” in 2018, it does classify bridges as good, fair or poor condition. The 501 Bypass bridge over Highway 701 is one of 18 bridges in Horry County the FHWA considers to be in poor condition. But that doesn’t mean the bridges need shut down.

“A bridge rated in poor condition likely needs repair or rehabilitation to restore its original design capacity but that rating is not, in itself, an indication of a safety issue,” Nancy Singer of the FHWA Office of Public Affairs told The Sun News in an email.

Bridges in poor condition that remain open to the public have been deemed safe, but require weight limits and more frequent monitoring, Singer said. Although 29 Horry County bridges have posted weight limits, according to Robinson, the 501 Bypass bridge does not.

“Several of these bridges have been awarded to contractors to begin repairs or replacements. Some are in the planning stages,” Robinson said. “Safety is our number one priority — SCDOT immediately closes any bridge that is unsafe for travel and has a rigorous inspection program.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 6:00 AM.