First diverging diamond in SC now open over I-77 in York County

YORK COUNTY, S.C. — The Gold Hill Road Bridge over Interstate 77 is now unlike any in the state of South Carolina. York County unveiled the state’s first “diverging diamond” overpass on Monday morning, allowing for faster traffic flow and reduced backups.

About 25,000 vehicles per day cross the bridge, and of the three plans for improvements that were considered, the diverging diamond showed the biggest improvement in traffic flow, said York County Assistant County Engineer Patrick Hamilton.

A Diverging Diamond Interchange is a diamond-shaped interchange that allows vehicles in two lanes to temporarily cross to the left side of the road, travel the bridge, then cross back to the right side. This makes traffic move easily through an intersection without increasing the number of lanes and traffic signals. It’s designed for high-volume traffic areas.

Construction on the project began in the summer of 2019, at a cost of $14.5 million. York County’s Pennies for Progress program is paying $12 million of that cost, with the remaining $2.5 million funded by grants.

Boggs Construction was the lead contractor on the project.

The bridge in Fort Mill had closed on Friday at midnight, but there was still access to the interstate in both directions using the ramps. The new bridge opened shortly after 5 a.m. Monday.

Construction will continue after the bridge is open and is expected to be completed by late October.

[WATCH BELOW: New ‘diverging diamond’ could ease stress for York County commuters]

New 'diverging diamond' could ease stress for York County commuters New 'diverging diamond' could ease stress for York County commuters

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