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US 21 SB over Whale Branch

Beaufort County, South Carolina · rated Fair in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory

United States Bridge Conditions2025 National Bridge Inventory, FHWACompiled August 20, 2026

US 21 SB over Whale Branch in Beaufort County, South Carolina, is rated in fair condition in the 2025 National Bridge Inventory (as of August 20, 2026).
Its lowest-rated component is the superstructure, rated 5 (fair condition) on the 0-9 scale.
It was built in 1968, making it 57 years old at the 2025 inventory.
It carries about 8,900 vehicles a day (traffic count year 2023).
Its listed owner is the state highway agency.
It is one of 40 of the 72 inventoried bridges in Beaufort County rated fair (55.6%); 4 (5.6%) are rated poor.
A fair rating means the lowest-rated major component scores 5 or 6 on FHWA's 0-9 scale: some deterioration or minor section loss, but the structure is sound. It is the middle class, not a warning.

Component ratings


Structure	Steel stringer or multi-beam girder
Length	about 950 ft
Location	8.7 Mi NW of Beaufort
NBI structure number	000000000005219
Condition class	Fair

Source: FHWA National Bridge Inventory, 2025 data as reported by the South Carolina department of transportation.

Bridge	Built	Vehicles/day	Condition
US 278 EB over Okatie River	1991	33,950	Fair
US 278 EB over Sc 170	1991	33,950	Good
US 278 WB over Okatie River	1991	33,950	Fair
US 278 WB over Sc 170	1991	33,950	Good
US 21/RIBAUT Rd over Battery Creek Overflow	1993	32,900	Fair
US 21 over Battery Creek	1994	32,900	Fair