High heat causing Horry County swing bridge to malfunction. Will it affect traffic?
The extreme high heat has caused mechanical issues with the Little River Swing Bridge and is expected to continue as the Grand Strand is facing a heat wave this week.
The South Carolina Department of Transportation was notified that the bridge was unable to open for marine traffic on Sunday because of “extremely high temperatures,” according to an email from Hannah Robinson, SCDOT media relations manager.
The malfunction caused traffic to be blocked for several hours as rescue crews attempted to get to a boating accident on the Intracoastal Waterway.
“With the current high heat forecast and temperatures on the bridge reaching over 130 degrees, we anticipate periods of intermittent closure,” Robinson said.
The Myrtle Beach area is predicted to receive temperatures above 90 degrees, with heat indexes that could reach 105 to 110 degrees.
Robinson said that the SCDOT will continue to work with the U.S. Coast Guard and local officials regarding the bridge.
The bridge was recently closed on June 19, 2025, for maintenance. Built in the 1930s, the Little River swing bridge underwent renovations in 2005.
The bridge malfunction caused Horry County Fire EMS crews to be delayed responding to a fatal boating accident that occurred Sunday in Little River.
Horry County requested assistance from Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department, which responded to the accident and helped transport the woman to Horry County EMS, according to a text from Brunswick County Sheriff’s Department public information officer Emily Flax.
The woman died after apparently jumping from a beached boat, according to South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
