The reality of losing access to the J.E. McTeer Bridge hit residents hard Monday — the first workday since the bridge was closed after a barge’s crane hit its underside — as about 20,000 vehicles crammed their way onto the one remaining bridge between Lady’s Island and Port Royal Island.

Traffic on U.S. 21 was backed up to Fripp Island as people attempted the trek across the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge off the Sea Islands in the morning, and U.S. 21 in town was clogged from the Woods bridge beyond the S.C. 170 intersection as residents tried to make it back onto the islands in the evening.

“The problem is there is too much traffic to one area,” said William Winn, director of the Beaufort County Emergency Management Department. “You can’t put 10 gallons in a five gallon can.”

Frustrations were running high among drivers sitting in traffic for hours on end.

“I left at 9:15 (a.m.) from Hunting Island. I have been sitting here two hours,” said Sue Thompson, who was trying to make a medical appointment in Hardeeville. “Every time I leave my house, I’m going to have to sit in line for two hours? This is unreal.”

Authorities said they’ll tweak traffic direction over the next few days as they adjust to the closure of the McTeer bridge that spans S.C. 802.

“With the traffic backing up on the side roads, we’re going to have to work harder to be more efficient and consistent on how traffic flows on northbound 21,” said Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Allen Horton. Today, officers will be directing traffic at the intersection starting at 5:30 a.m., he said.

Access to downtown streets from Carteret Street will remain limited through at least today, police said.

Repairs on the McTeer bridge are expected to take about three months, but S.C. Department of Transportation officials said they will have a better idea of the timeline after an evaluation by a state bridge maintenance engineer today.

The state agency is treating the bridge repair as an emergency operation and will hire a contractor as soon as possible after repair plans are made, said Robert Clark, DOT engineering administrator for Beaufort County. Then it will be a matter of waiting for materials to be produced, he said.

DOT engineers are working with federal officials in exploring ways to reinforce the McTeer bridge so it can reopen to limited traffic before repairs are complete, Clark said.

County and state authorities closed the bridge Friday night after examining damage done to steel support beams when a crane carried by a barge struck the bridge Thursday night. Seeing damage to only three of the five beams Friday and Saturday, one lane was open to limited traffic Sunday morning, but Clark said the bridge was closed completely after investigators found one more beam damaged Sunday afternoon. Lives were not in danger, he said.

“The bridge is not in any danger of collapsing,” Clark said, adding the complete closure to traffic was done more out of concern of limiting damage to the beam rather than for motorists’ safety.

The Coast Guard continues to investigate Thursday’s crash into the bridge, said Lt. Meridena Kauffman, senior investigative officer. She said the Woods bridge operator called the Coast Guard at about 8:30 p.m., and they immediately called the captain of the tugboat — the Savannah-based Sara Kaitlin — pulling the barge.

The captain said little damage was done to the crane. After lowering the machinery, the boat continued on to Savannah, Kauffman said. Possible civil penalties are pending, she said, adding all the responsibility of operation belongs to the tugboat.

DOT officials plan to file a claim against the responsible parties to pay for bridge repair expenses once the Coast Guard investigation is complete, Clark said.

As for surviving the closure day to day, authorities strongly encouraged carpooling and rearranging schedules to avoid crossing the Woods bridge during rush hours if possible.

Thirty S.C. Highway Patrol troopers, including those who patrol on motorcycles, will be devoted to the affected areas.