Downtown Greenville bridge getting $8M upgrade

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A high-profile and well-traveled bridge in downtown Greenville is set for a state-funded renovation.

The Church Street bridge will be getting an $8 million upgrade, making it a safer, better-lit and more pedestrian-friendly, according to a post on the city of Greenville’s website. 

“This project is important for the success of downtown Greenville,” Mayor Knox White said in the post. “There’s always more we can do to make downtown more walkable, more pedestrian focused.”

Constructed in 1959, the bridge remains a downtown landmark and an important arterial roadway. However, several of its features are outdated, including the sidewalks, drainage system, lights and road, the post stated. 

A rehabilitation project, funded through the South Carolina Department of Transportation, is slated for this summer to accomplish the following, according to the post:

• The road will get a new concrete surface
• Lighting will be replaced and upgraded
• New railings and green road dividers (planters) will improve pedestrian safety 
• The stairs at McBee Street will be replaced
• The west sidewalk will be widened to 9 feet 
• The bridge will be repainted

The project is needed to address the deteriorating bridge deck, update the storm drainage system on the bridge, and improve the overall condition of the structure, according to the department of transportation’s website.

The project study area will extend approximately 0.32 mile from Washington Street to the north to East Camperdown Way to the south, according to the website.

One lane in each direction will remain open for vehicles when construction starts this summer, the city’s post stated. The walking path beneath the Church Street Bridge is planned to be closed during construction, as well as parking lots below the bridge.

The estimated completion time is 12 to 18 months.