A contractor for the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) started the replacement of the Rainbow Drive bridge over Interstate 26 in Springdale, last Friday (Sept. 23.)

The bridge replacement construction could take two years. A 2.84 mile detour will be in place, with signs posted directing motorists around the road closure by using Platt Springs Road and Wattling Road.

Replacement of the bridge is necessary due the current bridge’s structurally deficient condition. To facilitate replacement of the bridge in the most efficient and cost-effective manner, Rainbow Drive will be closed between Eddine Drive and Beverly Drive on the Columbia side of I-26 and Dawn Drive on the Lexington side of I-26, according to the SCDOT. The work is being done by Crowder Construction Co.

SCDOT Resident Construction Engineer Robert Power said the end date on the bridge replacement is Nov. 30, 2018, but the road could be reopened to traffic by April 30, 2018.

Demolition of the existing bridge and construction of the new one, along with the realignment of frontage roads Crest Drive and Huntington Drive, is expected to take approximately 20 months, according to a SCDOT release. But delays due to weather conditions, fabricator delays, etc., could be factors in completion of the project.