OK, anyone who’s afraid of crossing bridges raise your hands? You
can’t see it, but this writer’s hand just shot up like a rocket. Seems
I was perfectly fine crossing bridges over the Mississippi River,
around New York and causeways connecting Florida islands and even
taking ferry boats, until I drove across the bridge connecting Mount
Pleasant with Charleston, South Carolina, some 20 years ago.
From the moment I drove that 10-feet wide lane, open decked bridge, I
developed gephyrophobia. For those like me, who have not enrolled
in therapy or self-help, there is an answer thanks to the new 3.6-mile
long, eight-lane Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Highway 17) that now spans
the Cooper River.
But it’s much more than a mode of transportation; it’s a visitor
attraction. As part of the construction, a non-motorized traffic lane
on the southside of the bridge was added to accommodate, walkers and
runners. The view from the top allows users to see the U.S.S.
Yorktown at Patriot’s Point, as well as a panoramic view of
Charleston’s skyline and the Atlantic Ocean.
Area sightseeing cruises, as well as kayaking tours provide a unique
perspective of the longest cable-stayed bridge. Diners at
riverbank eateries, including those near the South Carolina Aquarium
and Liberty Square Visitor Education Center, a departure point for Fort
Sumter, seek seats with a view.
Some interesting facts about the bridge:
- While under construction, the South Carolina Department of
Transportation promoted that “lights on the cables would be dimmed
during the sea turtle nesting season.”
- Water trucks spread roughly 10,000 gallons of water across the project each day in an effort to minimize dust.
- Strict seismic criteria have been included in the bridge plans so that
the bridge can withstand earthquakes such as the “Great Quake” of 1886
that affected Charleston, which was estimated at magnitude 7.3.
- Extensive wind tunnel testing of hurricane force winds were
incorporated into the bridge design to insure that it can resist winds
of up to a speed of 190 mph.
- It opened a year ahead of schedule (2005 rather than 2006) and under budget.
