In 2006 SCDOT, in cooperation with the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), undertook an inventory of bridges built prior to 1961. The goal of the inventory was to evaluate those bridges for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

This inventory surveyed 2,248 bridges across the state for historical significance and integrity. The vast majority of the surveyed bridges were found to be common bridge types (T beam, slab, and steel stringer) that were built following standardized designs between 1910 and 1950. Many built prior to 1941 were found to have been highly altered by widening to one or both sides. Of the over 2,000 surveyed bridges, 92 were determined eligible for the NRHP. However, as of today less than 40 of those bridges are still active on the SCDOT system. Some have been replaced or bypassed, while others are owned and maintained by cities, counties, or railroads.

The information gathered in the Historic Bridge Inventory is useful in environmental studies, transportation planning, and preliminary engineering, as well as promoting an appreciation and understanding of the state's engineering and transportation history. Historic bridges are generally subject to the provisions of the US Department of Transportation Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, which address the way state highway agencies handle historic properties impacted by federally funded or permitted projects.

This page provides data from SCDOT’s Historic Bridge Inventory. The map below shows the location or former location of the 2,248 bridges included in the inventory. Clicking on a bridge will provide some basic information about it from the inventory. Historic context reports about the history of South Carolina’s transportation network and bridge building technology in the state are provided to download in the sidebar.