SEC Women’s Tournament brings estimated $21 million to Greenville; city crews and SCDOT adjust traffic

Haley Brown with the City of Greenville said the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament delivered an estimated $21 million boost to downtown shops, restaurants and hotels and prompted a citywide preparation effort.

City crews conducted pressure washing, leaf blowing, trash pickup and street sweeping to prepare for tournament visitors, Brown said. To help traffic flow during the event, the South Carolina Department of Transportation temporarily reopened all lanes of the Church Street Bridge through April 30.

Brown said SCDOT scheduled a full closure of the Church Street Bridge from May 1 to June 12 for bridge deck demolition and final paving; drivers and freight operators were advised to plan alternate routes during that work window. The city credited the combined tournament activity and short-term traffic adjustments with protecting downtown access and pedestrian safety during the influx of visitors.

No city vote or formal action was announced; the bridge work and traffic reopening were described as SCDOT operational decisions communicated in the bulletin. The city did not provide an independent breakdown of the $21 million estimate or the underlying methodology in the update.