Stretch of major Fort Mill road to close for months to replace bridge

FORT MILL, S.C. — The Department of Transportation shut down a major Fort Mill road Monday and it is going to stay that way until next May.

The detour will re-route thousands of cars every day, including commuters and school traffic.

Channel 9's South Carolina bureau reporter Greg Suskin was there as crews put up barricades.

The construction is on Old Nation Road, also known as 21 Business, between Ritch Street and Hillcrest Drive. DOT is replacing a bridge over Steele Creek that was built in 1963.

Cristina Vincent lives just down the road from the bridge and said she doesn't mind the closure.

She said at least the road will be safe for a while.

"It's a major cut through, people speed, I'm tired of it," Vincent said. "We've had motorcycle accidents at the corner. We've had a car come through our yard."

Many drivers use Old Nation Road as an alternate route when there is a major wreck on Interstate 77 or the 21 bypass.

"It's a lot of cars going through here in the morning when school starts, and then people going to work," said resident Polly Merritt.

Car traffic isn't the only issue, the project also cuts right through popular hiking nd horse trails at the Anne Springs Close Greenway.

"For nine months we'll have to reroute our trails and work around it, but in the end it'll be worth it," said Merritt.

The project will take nine months and commuter traffic will be diverted to Interstate 77 or Highway 21.

The detour onto Highway 21 is about 4 and a half miles.

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