Norway Road bridge likely to reopen by end of 2026, SCDOT says

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Drivers who’ve been adding 15 to 20 minutes to their trips around a closed bridge on Norway Road in Orangeburg County should have it back by the end of the year, the S.C. Department of Transportation said.

Crews are replacing the bridge over Willow Swamp along S.C. 332, also known as Norway Road.

According to SCDOT, the bridge ranks 44th on South Carolina’s Interstate and National Highway System Bridge Replacement Priority List. The department said the bridge’s structurally deficient designation does not mean it is unsafe for traffic, but indicates that structural issues require attention.

Construction has closed Norway Road between Springflower Drive and Harrison Avenue. While crews work on the replacement, drivers must use an alternate route along S.C. 4, also known as Neeses Highway, and U.S. 321. 

The maximum detour distance from one side of the bridge to the other is about 20 miles.

Rowe-Rowe, a resident who has driven across the bridge, said its condition made the need for repairs noticeable.

“It’s pretty old. It’s in bad shape. One lady got stuck on it when we had bad rain,” he said.

He also described what it feels like to drive across the bridge.

“It be bumping my car like bump, bump, bump, bump,” he said.

Harry James Jr. lives beside the road closure.

“A bunch of people do use it. Now they got to go way round, way round this way or that way. They say they getting sick of it,” James said.

The replacement bridge is being designed to meet current standards and will include two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders. The roadway leading up to and away from the bridge will also be rebuilt, with two 12-foot lanes and 6-foot shoulders.

Despite the inconvenience of the detour, James said he looks forward to the finished project.

“A lot of people will be blessed by that,” James said.