A 103-year-old vehicle bridge above a railroad line near downtown Gaffney, S.C., connecting South Granard and South Limestone streets, is set to be renovated to make it more accessible to pedestrians.

The $1.5 million project will begin Nov. 21 and have a year-long timeline, the Spartanburg Post and Courier reported Nov. 11. The improvement on the structure has a scheduled completion set for November 2023.

Car and truck traffic on the T-bridge will be closed during the renovation process.

The old bridge in the Upstate of South Carolina was constructed in 1919 and later widened in 1970.

The small town of Gaffney is just south of the North Carolina border along Interstate 85.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) awarded a contract bid for the project to Reeves Construction Co. in Duncan, S.C.

"We are planning to close the road and replace the side rails and the sidewalks on the elevated section of Granard Street," SCDOT Construction Engineer Marc Mathis told the Post and Courier. "Our goal is to have a sidewalk that is more accessible. We are working out the details to get all the asphalt replaced and put safety fences on either side of the bridge."

Vehicles traveling on Granard Street access the bridge by elevated ramps that lead to it. Mathis said the structure also will get a much-needed repainting to match its existing color.

"Due to the relatively low traffic volume, and in order to minimize the impact to property owners in the area, the road will be closed at the bridge site during the project and traffic detoured," said SCDOT District Four Engineering Administrator Jason Johnston.

The detour route will include Gaffney's Buford Street, Limestone Street and Rutledge Avenue.

City Administrator James Taylor said SCDOT is handling the design, construction and management of the bridge project. Gaffney's is contributing $200,000 for the effort in a matching grant. The rest of the renovation's cost will be funded by the state and other grants, he added.

"[The bridge improvements have] been needed for some time," Taylor explained. "There have been some accessibility issues, and this will make it more pedestrian friendly. Some of the damaged columns and rails will be replaced and it will get a fresh coat of paint."

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