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As the first design-build project completed under South Carolina’s Partners in Progress Program, the Conway Bypass (SC Route 22) stands as a major achievement in statewide infrastructure delivery. Executed through a public-private partnership (PPP), the $386 million project spans 63 miles and provides a vital transportation corridor connecting US 17 to the Carolina Bays Parkway. Despite facing three major hurricanes and historical flooding during construction, the project was delivered an impressive 17 months ahead of schedule.
Constructing nearly 5 miles of bridges, managing 318 acres of wetland impact, and coordinating installation of over 5,000 piles—each averaging 65 feet in length—presented significant engineering and logistical challenges. The project team also had to maintain momentum through multiple natural disasters, including record-level flooding, while keeping safety, environmental compliance, and quality control at the forefront.
A massive earthwork effort involved moving 9,000,000 cubic yards of borrow material—enough to fill the Empire State Building more than twice. In total, crews placed 188,000 cubic yards of concrete, laid 618,000 tons of asphalt, and installed 31 bridges (15 flat slab and 16 girder bridges) totaling nearly 5 miles in length. The widest section of roadway includes six lanes—three 12-foot travel lanes in each direction—divided by a 46-foot earth median. Major structural and roadway components were completed using a design-build approach to streamline coordination and accelerate delivery.
Completed 17 months ahead of schedule, the Conway Bypass exemplifies what’s possible through innovative project delivery, high-volume coordination, and public-private collaboration. The project’s scale is best appreciated in context: the concrete trucks used would stretch 125 miles bumper-to-bumper—the distance from Myrtle Beach to Columbia—while asphalt trucks would reach Charlotte, and dump trucks hauling earth would span all the way to San Francisco. Today, the Bypass serves as a cornerstone of regional mobility, resilience, and economic development for South Carolina.
