S-105 (Old Vaucluse Road) over I-20 Emergency Bridge Replacement Design-Build

Under an accelerated delivery schedule, RK&K completed the bridge design for the replacement of the S-105 (Old Vaucluse Road) bridge over Interstate 20 in Aiken County following a tanker collision that caused the original structure to collapse onto the interstate.

The incident prompted an immediate and coordinated emergency response, with SCDOT crews and contractors working continuously to clear debris and restore interstate traffic operations in a highly compressed timeframe. An emergency declaration and approximately $8million in federal funding support enabled expedited delivery of the replacement structure.

The project was delivered through SCDOT’s Office of Alternative Delivery using an Emergency Replacement Contract approach. Procurement was streamlined, with a limited number of prequalified design-build teams invited to compete based on demonstrated experience delivering similar bridge replacement projects. Reeves Construction was selected as the design-build contractor and partnered with RK&K as the Lead Designer.

Following award on August 6, 2025, the project advanced under an aggressive schedule requiring substantial completion and reopening to traffic prior to Memorial Day, May 25, 2026. RK&K completed the bridge design within three months, enabling construction to begin in November 2025. Through coordinated execution and accelerated delivery, the new bridge was successfully opened to traffic on May 21, 2026—four days ahead of the contractual deadline.

This project exemplifies effective emergency response, streamlined procurement, and collaborative design-build delivery to restore critical transportation infrastructure on an expedited timeline.