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Jessica Nelms

After being closed for several months due to construction, the Twelve Mile Bridge is back in use by motorists. Final inspection of the Twelve Mile Bridge will take place today, Friday, July 18.

CLEMSON — Although Twelve Mile Bridge has been reopened to traffic since June 26, DOT officials say the new and improved structure will undergo a final inspection today.

The bridge, north of Pike Road over Lake Hartwell on S.C. Highway 133, was closed in January. The 400-foot bridge was replaced by another 400-foot bridge consisting of reinforced concrete due to steel pilings in the lake that were rusting.

Clemson University students, parents, employees and other individuals who work in the area use S.C. Highway 133, which connects the Clemson and Six Mile areas and runs near Daniel High School. The bridge replacement project cost an estimated $4.5 million, with 80 percent of the money coming from federal funds. No “C” transportation funds were used for the project.

Completion of the new Twelve Mile Bridge marks the latest in a series of bridge replacement projects in Clemson in recent months.

In June, the Nettles Road Bridge formally reopened to the public after being closed for seven months. The new bridge features a slight change in alignment, including concrete columns that will catch less debris and, thereby, prevent water from backing up in case of rain.

Because the new bridge will be five feet higher than the existing structure, that will also make it more difficult for flooding to occur.

Other bridge projects in recent years have included the South Carolina Highway 93 road widening and staged bridge construction project, completed in 2004 after nearly three years, and the Old Central Road Bridge demolition and replacement. The latter involved construction and replacement of a nearly 60-year-old bridge that reopened in August of last year after being closed for more than nine months.

A fifth bridge replacement, involving the construction of a new bridge to replace the existing railroad bridge over S.C. Highway 133, will begin later this year. That project will take an estimated 18 months to complete.

Clemson Mayor Larry Abernathy said he is excited over the new and improved bridges as well as the impending S.C. Highway 133 project.

“I know it’s an inconvenience for people, but, when it’s complete, it’s a great position to be in,” Abernathy said, adding, “We’re nearly getting to the point where we won’t have any troublesome bridges in our community.

“Access is everything and this is going to be a big help.”