41 SC roads remain closed after Helene as repairs continue

(WSPA) – Officials with the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) updated the public Friday on work to repair roads and bridges around the state following Hurricane Helene.

South Carolina Secretary of Transportation Justin Powell and acting administrator of the FHWA Kristin White held a news conference Friday afternoon at the site of a culvert which was washed away on Camp Creek Road in Greenville County.

Powell said more than 900 roads were closed in South Carolina due to Helene, 859 have since reopened.

At Caesars Head, the SCDOT is in the process of repairing a portion of U.S. 276 which slid off of the mountain. $2 million in funding from the FHWA contributed to those repairs. The highway is expected to reopen by the end of the month. Expect to have it reopened by the end of the month.

Debris cleanup crews from SCDOT and contractors are continuing to pick up debris, according to Powell.

SCDOT said there are about 12 bridges which will have to be replaced due to storm damage.

Powell estimated damage to South Carolina roads to be nearly $50 million, about half of which will be covered by the Federal Highway Administration with the other half reimbursed by FEMA.

According to Powell, the cost of debris pickup will probably be in the hundreds of millions of dollars but they are still working to calculate a final estimate.

Watch the full news conference live in the video player above.