A second view of the bridge, shown below, was taken from the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, a newly-renovated area along Beaufort’s riverfront. Draped with shady oaks, it provides a beautiful place for passersby to relax on riverside swings, play a game of Frisbee, listen to a concert, watch an outdoor movie, or enjoy a meal at one of the many nearby restaurants.

Cannon Park, pictured below, is near the north end of the Woods Memorial Bridge. This small park is adorned with flowers, and visitors enjoy relaxing on benches and watching boats pass beneath the bridge. Cannon Park is only a few steps from downtown shops, and it is treasured by many locals.

Here is a list of the only moveable bridges left in our state:

Do you have a picture of one of these bridges? Please send it to us. Also, if you have more information about the Woods Memorial Bridge, please let us know. We’d love to add it!

A second bridge is also a draw bridge, and was added in the 1960s to accommodate the growing amount of traffic traveling between the Charleston peninsula and West Ashley.

SCIWAY thanks Beverly Christ of James Island for submitting this great shot in February 2011.

These are the only moveable bridges left in our state:

Do you have a picture of one of these bridges? Please send it to us!

Constructed from locally quarried stone, the Poinsett Bridge was one of three stone bridges along the stretch of State Road referred to as the Saluda Mountain Road. The bridge features stepped parapet sidewalls and is marked by a 15-foot Gothic arch which forms the passage for Little Gap Creek, a small tributary of the North Saluda River.

At the time of the bridge’s design, Poinsett was the director of the South Carolina Board of Public Works. It is speculated that Robert Mills, architect of many South Carolina buildings as well as the Washington Monument, may have designed the bridge. Learn more about the Poinsett Bridge Heritage Preserve.

However, by the 1990s, these bridges were outdated for modern times. The Grace Bridge was deemed structurally obsolete and the Pearman Bridge was struggling to handle the heavy traffic between Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Charleston native Arthur Ravenel spearheaded the campaign for a new bridge to be constructed over the Cooper River, replacing the Grace and Pearman.

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge opened during a week-long celebration in July 2005. It is an eight-lane, cable-stayed bridge with two diamond shaped towers that allow clearance for modern ocean freighters to access the Port of Charleston.

Chuck Boyd of Charleston contributed this picture of his grandmother posing in front of the Grace Memorial Bridge in 1928.

He writes: “My grandmother, Alyce May Boyd, is shown primly ‘dressed to the nines,’ standing amid construction on the Charleston side of the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. She ran a boarding house downtown and construction workers who were staying there escorted her to the bridge – note the tracks used to haul steel up the bridge.”

See more of Chuck Boyd’s pictures and read his blog.

Learn more about the history of the Cooper River Bridges.

The bridge’s uniquely curved deck spans 345 feet across the Reedy River, offering spectacular views of Reedy River Falls and the vast gardens of Falls Park. Since its completion in 2004, the Liberty Bridge has become Greenville’s most recognizable landmark and a unique symbol of the city’s downtown revitalization efforts.

Above the railings on the bridge you will find cast iron light fixtures, like the one captured in this photo. The decorative fixtures have the letter ‘C’ and a palmetto tree on their bases. There are vine patterns on the octagonal posts and an acanthus leaf, which stands for quality, longevity, and creativity.

See more pictures of the Gervais Street Bridge.

The bridge was completed in 1928 and is Columbia’s oldest bridge crossing the Congaree River. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Photographer Kathryn Harris writes: “I saw this bridge on my first visit to Columbia and thought it would be awesome to photograph at sunset. Truly a beautiful site. I will come back in the spring to photograph it again.”

One of four covered bridges built in northeastern Greenville County in the early 20th century, this one was named for Lafayette Campbell, the owner of a nearby grist mill who allowed his land to be used for the bridge’s construction.

At the time, covered bridges were especially popular in the mountains because they provided extra protection for river and creek crossings in snow and ice. Easier access across the creeks in all kinds of weather significantly reduced travel time and helped connect the small communities scattered through this rural area. Among the many benefits, and perhaps foremost in the mind of Lafayette Campbell, was the fact that it was easier for farmers to bring their corn to his mill.

The Campbell Covered Bridge site is now owned by Greenville County. It was permanently closed to traffic in the early 1980s and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. Major restorations have been undertaken twice, first in 1964 and again in 1990.

As you enter the bridge, a marker reads: “This bridge, built in 1909, is the last extant covered bridge in S.C. Built by Charles Irwin Willis (1878–1966), it was named for Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836–1920), who owned and operated a grist mill here for many years. Measuring 35 feet long and 12 feet wide, it is an excellent example of a four-span Howe truss, featuring diagonal timbers and vertical iron rods.”

Its predecessors, the historic Grace bridge and the Pearman bridge, were a beloved part of the Charleston skyline for almost 80 years. Over time, however, they became obsolete and unsafe for travelers. Charleston politician Arthur Ravenel spearheaded the campaign for a new bridge to be constructed over the Cooper River, replacing the old bridges.

The new bridge provides more than traffic relief to residents – it also has a bike and pedestrian lane, and the world famous Cooper River Bridge Run is held here every year.

Grace and Pearman Bridges – A Brief History

The Grace Memorial Bridge was known fondly (and also somewhat fearfully) by locals as the “Old Bridge.” Its two narrow lanes (10 feet each with no curbs or median) opened for traffic on August 8, 1929, as a toll bridge costing 50 cents per trip. This toll was used to pay for the bridge’s $6 million price tag; it was owned and operated by a private company named Cooper River Bridge, Inc. The president of this company, Charleston native John P. Grace, later served as its namesake.

Prior to 1929, people needing to travel between Charleston and Mount Pleasant did so by private boat or ferry. The bridge actually crosses two bodies of water – the Cooper River and Town Creek. In all, its length measures 2.71 miles; it is 15 feet higher than the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. At the time of its construction, it was the largest bridge of its kind in the world.

27 years later, in 1946, the state of South Carolina purchased the bridge and eliminated its toll. As it happened, a 10,000-ton freighter named “Nicaragua Victory” rammed into the bridge that same year. It ripped out a 240-foot section, causing Elmer Lawson and his family to fall into the water below.

Another bridge was built in 1966 alongside the Grace Bridge, and it was named for then Highway Director Silas N. Pearman. Most people, of course, knew it simply as the “New Bridge.”

Photos, Videos, and Webcams

• Driving over the Old Cooper River Bridge – Silent Video
• Demolition of Old Cooper River Bridge – Video
• Dismantling the Old Cooper River Bridges – Photos from beginning to end
• SCDOT Photo Gallery
• Ravenel Bridgecams
• Ravenel Bridge Grand Opening

Design of Authur Ravenel Jr Bridge

• Parsons Brinckerhoff – PDF – Project Plan
• Drilled shaft construction of new bridge
• Structure type of new bridge

Replacement of the Cooper River Bridges

• Cooper River Bridge Celebration – PDF – Speech by John P Grace at the opening of the first bridge in 1929
• Contract awarded to Palmetto Bridge Constructors
• Project Overview
• Constructor: Skanska