Kershaw Co. I-20 Bridge Over Wateree River

Project Overview

The Kershaw Co I-20 Bridge over Wateree River project is reshaping two overflow bridges along I-20 over Wateree Swamp in Camden, South Carolina. The project addresses significant maintenance concerns that South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) had with the existing structures, which required frequent repairs and caused considerable impact to the traveling public. By repairing the bridges, the project reduces the need for ongoing maintenance, providing a lasting benefit to the community.

Originally constructed more than 50 years ago, the bridges had reached the end of their service life, requiring a replacement and a repair. Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) was selected to perform bridge deck grooving to repair the bridges and restore their lifespan. Bridge deck grooving is a process part of our grinding and grooving services ESS performs. This process consists of cutting narrow grooves into the bridge deck to improve water drainage and reduce the risk of vehicle hydroplaning in accordance with SCDOT specifications.

This project consists of three phases, expected to wrap up in Spring of 2027. Working closely with Lane Construction, ESS completed phase 1 and 2 on schedule and completed 68% of the grooving. Upon completion, ESS is expected to have grooved approximately 17,000 square yards of bridge deck.

This project demonstrates ESS’ ability to successfully coordinate multiple mobilizations and deliver phased out specialty grooving operations on schedule for a large interstate design-build project.