Lone Star - Rimini Bridge

Background

In 2000, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) proposed a nine-mile, two-lane road connecting Lone Star and Rimini in an effort to boost economic opportunity in the rural crossroads. While SELC and our partners support the efforts of Congressman Clyburn to better the lives and opportunities of those living around the Upper Santee Swamp, this road will destroy some of the state's last remaining wilderness and destroy significant natural resources that should be managed for long-time prosperity.

The project's location is one of the biggest concerns for SELC and local conservation groups. The connector includes a 3-mile bridge directly through 17,000-acre Upper Santee Swamp, also known as Sparkleberry Swamp.

These risks make the cost of the road too great to support any minor economic gains forecasted by DOT. In fact, even studies done in support of the road construction show little economic benefit to the rural counties of Calhoun, Clarendon and Sumter where the road will be located. Further, the road would shorten commutes between the county seats of Sumter and Orangeburg by only three to 10 minutes.

Located about 40 miles southeast of Columbia, Sparkleberry Swamp is one of the last great remaining wildernesses in South Carolina. It is valued by a wide variety of people, from bird watchers to waterfowl hunters to canoeists, for its exceptional beauty and unrivaled isolation. Generations have enjoyed exploring the Swamp's braided channels and shifting islands, making this a place like no other.

Several endangered and threatened species, such as the bald eagle, red-cockaded woodpecker and the shortnose sturgeon, occur in the area. The bridge would necessarily result in the filling of wetlands, diminished water quality, and decreased habitat values for wildlife, including migratory birds.

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