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of $ 6 million, it opened with a three-day celebration that attracted visitors from around the globe. Engineers and critics proclaimed colorful descriptions of the unique structure, deeming it "the first roller-coaster bridge" and citing that "steep approaches, stupendous height, extremely narrow width, and a sharp curve at the dip conspire to excite and alarm the motorist." Privately owned originally, a $ 1.00 toll was charged for car and driver to cross. In 1943, the state of South
Carolina purchased the bridge, and the tolls were lifted in 1946.
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and parallel to it. Named for the then–South
Carolina Highway Commissioner, the Silas N. Pearman Bridge opened in 1966 at cost of $ 15 million (equivalent to $ 140.86 million in 2023). Its three lanes, at a modern 12-foot (3.7 m) width, opened to northbound traffic, while its older counterpart carried the southbound traffic into downtown Charleston. One lane was reversible on the Pearman bridge, which led to signs warning "Use lanes with green arrow" and "Do not use red X lane" on the bridge.
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used of the space as a truck bypass, and the
Pearman bridge had no median between the northbound and southbound lanes because of its previous use as a reversible lane. Furthermore, the vertical clearance above the river—once among the highest in the world—could no longer accommodate shipping vessels as they grew bigger over time. Three of Charleston's four shipping terminals are situated up the Cooper and
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550:, provided a solution to meet the tight construction tolerances and provide safe access for workers laboring hundreds of feet in the air. The self-climbing system meant that the tower cranes did not have to spend time raising the forms after each segment of concrete hardened, and instead could be better used to haul material from barges below.
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on the
Pearman was eliminated (it had been able to switch to three lanes northbound for rush hour traffic), making that lane southbound permanently diverting all heavy trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles to that lane on the Pearman bridge. Neither of the bridges had emergency lanes as the latter
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in memory of
Garrett Wonders. Wonders was a US Navy ensign stationed in Charleston and was in training for the 2004 Olympics before he died in a bicycle–vehicle collision. The path was included in design of the new bridge because of grassroots efforts by groups, such as a fifth grade class at a
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provided design review and construction engineering and field inspection services. For the sake of simplifying labor and equipment resources, Palmetto Bridge
Constructors actually managed the building of the bridge as five separate projects (the two highway interchanges at either end of the bridge,
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By the 1960s, the Grace
Memorial Bridge had become functionally obsolete, with its two narrow 10-foot (3.0 m) lanes built for Ford Model As and its steep grades of up to six percent. Later, changes to the side rail and curb reduced the lane width further. A new bridge was constructed alongside
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was the fifth-longest in the world at 1,050 feet (320 m) and soared 150 feet (46 m) above the river. The mainspan of the second cantilever was the twelfth-longest in the world. The total length of the structure was about 2.7 miles (4.3 km). Following a 17-month construction at a cost
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Due to his efforts in passing laws for the new bridge's funding, fellow lawmakers voted to name bridge the Arthur
Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Some felt that the bridge should not be named after Ravenel, with the head of the South Carolina infrastructure bank saying in 1999, "Certainly, Arthur Ravenel is a
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rivers, and the limited bridge clearance excluded the access of ships that would otherwise be beneficial to the economy of South
Carolina. Now that the old bridges are disassembled, the world's largest modern container ships are able to access all terminals of the nation's fourth-largest container
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design with two diamond-shaped towers, each 575 feet (175 m) high. The total length of the structure is 13,200 feet (4,000 m), with the mainspan stretching 1,546 feet (471 m) between the towers. Suspending the deck 186 feet (57 m) above the river are 128 individual cables
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Raising financial support for a new eight-lane bridge over the Cooper River was a struggle 20 years in the making, prolonged by the state's insistence that it could not afford such a bridge and by
Charleston's reluctance to provide any funds for the project. Several proposals were made for a
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By the summer of 2002, the foundations for the towers and most of the piers were in place, and the rock islands were completed. The steel and concrete towers began to ascend from the islands soon after. Originally, each of the towers was to be topped with a 50-foot (15 m) multicolored LED
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The Grace Bridge had become structurally deficient by the late 1970s, and the Pearman Bridge had become functionally obsolete in 1979. Extensive metal deterioration caused by the lack of maintenance shortly after Grace Bridge's tolls were removed limited the capacity of the older bridge to
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The bridge structure is designed to withstand shipping accidents and the natural disasters that have plagued Charleston's history. The span is designed to endure wind gusts in excess of 300 mph (480 km/h), far stronger than those of the worst storm in Charleston's history,
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anchored to the inside of the diamond towers. The roadway consists of eight 12-foot (3.7 m) lanes, four in each direction plus a 12-foot (3.7 m) bicycle and pedestrian path, which runs along the south edge of the bridge overlooking Charleston Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean.
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would contribute $ 3 million a year for 25 years, including an 8.33% sales tax increase, to the federal loan, as well as yearly payments from the SCDOT and State Ports Authority. The overall price of the bridge totaled around $ 700 million.
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The bridge was designed for traffic of 100,000 vehicles per day, and forecasted to reach that number in 2030. As of 2018, the bridge was carrying an average of 96,300 vehicles per day. The bridge includes a shared bicycle–pedestrian path named
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Following a week-long celebration that included a public bridge walk, concerts, dinners, and fireworks, the bridge was dedicated and opened on July 16, 2005—one year ahead of schedule and under budget. The bridge was featured on the TV show
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A ceremony was held in March 2005, when the last slab of the deck was added, thus making the bridge "complete". But paving, installation of lights and signs, and cleanup meant that the bridge would not open for another four months.
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fine, decent person, but that bridge is bigger than any one individual and it should reflect all the qualities of the state and not some state senator who happens to be in the Legislature the time the structure is being built."
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The first cables were hung from the towers in 2004—as a time-saving measure, this was done before the towers were wholly completed. Sections of the deck were built outward from each of the towers as more cables were hung.
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with a goal of solving the funding problem. He helped to establish the S.C. Infrastructure Bank and worked with local, state, and federal officials to create partnerships that helped to materialize the final funding.
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The decks of the approaches were taking shape as well. Construction of part of the roadway actually occurred over the top of the old cantilever bridges, which remained open to traffic without interruption.
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without total failure. To protect the bridge from errant ships, the towers are flanked by one-acre (0.40 ha) rock islands. Ships will run aground on the islands before colliding with the towers.
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project, meaning that one contract was signed to both design and construct the bridge. This meant that construction could begin even while the design was not yet finalized. The bridge was built by a
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The fast-paced construction schedule led to contractors to use a self-climbing form system to build the towers. The formwork, supplied by
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Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge view from Patriot's Point, July 2006. The last fragments of the two old bridges can be seen in the background.
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that nearly leveled Charleston. The Ravenel Bridge is designed to withstand an earthquake of approximately 7.4 on the
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toll bridge, but the mayors of Charleston and Mount Pleasant objected. When officials revealed in 1995 that the
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The State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) budgeted $ 325 million to accompany $ 96.6 million from the
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on the first weekend of April. This event attracts up to 50,000 people. The route starts in
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738:"T.Y. Lin International Group | Projects | Arthur Ravenel Jr. (Cooper River) Bridge"
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features a picture of Rucker, a Charleston native, with the Ravenel Bridge in the background.
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Groundbreaking on the bridge occurred in 2001 in Mount Pleasant. The bridge was built as a
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The first bridge to cross the lower Cooper River opened in 1929, eventually named the
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The bridge is home to the annual USA Track & Field 10,000 metres (6.2 mi)
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Fireworks celebration to precede the opening of the new bridge, July 2005
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10-short-ton (9.1 t) vehicles (later 5 short tons (4.5 t)), and the
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the two approach spans, and the cable-stayed span) going on simultaneously.
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scored a 4 out of 100 for safety and integrity, retired US Congressman
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Cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper River in South Carolina, US
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versions. It was also featured in the 2012 version of
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Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge with the old Cooper River Bridges
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of two major construction firms operating under the name
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Unbuilding (demolition) of the Grace and Pearman Bridges
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National Highway Transportation Safety Administration,
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The Story of the Building of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge
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and finishes in downtown Charleston at Marion Square.
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Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System
897:(32). London: The Hemming Group. December 10, 2003.
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1034:, Special Supplement from the Post & Courier
1005:The Official Website for the Cooper River Bridge
993:Ravenel Bridge | South Carolina Picture Project
930:Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.
926:Annan, Jason; & Gabriel, Pamela (2002).
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961:State finalizes Cooper River bridge funding
954:South Carolina Department of Transportation
448:Road deck of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
1130:Cable-stayed bridges in the United States
634:(but it only crosses half of the water).
434:Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from Charleston
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530:. The construction joint venture hired
473:in 1989. Engineers also considered the
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1180:Concrete bridges in the United States
1170:2005 establishments in South Carolina
1145:Bridges in Charleston, South Carolina
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825:"Will Lowcountry outgrow new bridge?"
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13:
1175:Steel bridges in the United States
976:New bridge ends its 'long journey'
792:"Bridge controversies now history"
518:. The joint venture partners were
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823:Conover, Daniel (July 10, 2005).
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667:The 2014 television series
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184:Eight 12-foot (3.7 m) lanes
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895:Bridge Design & Engineering
854:South Carolina General Assembly
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1165:Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
1150:Road bridges in South Carolina
928:The Great Cooper River Bridge.
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407:Federal Highway Administration
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1079:Original Cooper River Bridges
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778:"Building the Ravenel Bridge"
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526:and Flatiron Constructors of
338:John P. Grace Memorial Bridge
242:John P. Grace Memorial Bridge
767:, Accessed October 10, 2019.
516:Palmetto Bridge Constructors
340:for former Charleston mayor
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797:Charleston Post and Courier
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673:features the bridge in its
324:method and was designed by
37:As seen from Mount Pleasant
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1010:November 13, 2020, at the
947:November 13, 2020, at the
649:Charleston, South Carolina
631:Need for Speed Most Wanted
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308:, US, connecting downtown
176:13,200 feet (4,000 m)
1135:Bridges completed in 2005
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1091:Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
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1021:Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
871:Campaign Safe & Sober
613:Need for Speed Undercover
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320:. It was built using the
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718:United States portal
534:to complete the design.
460:The Ravenel Bridge is a
1050:Cooper River Bridge Run
1046:, Site of Frank Starmer
1040:, Site of Frank Starmer
998:March 15, 2018, at the
956:Accessed July 23, 2005.
942:The Cooper River Bridge
610:In the 2008 video game
596:Cooper River Bridge Run
479:Richter magnitude scale
346:cantilever truss bridge
246:Silas N. Pearman Bridge
200:1,546 feet (471 m)
706:Engineering portal
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536:T.Y. Lin International
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225:; 19 years ago
858:Concurrent Resolution
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399:South Carolina Senate
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192:575 feet (175 m)
66:32.80278°N 79.91500°W
965:The Post and Courier
829:The Post and Courier
694:Transport portal
637:The 2009 movie
532:Parsons Brinckerhoff
475:1886 earthquake
326:Parsons Brinckerhoff
210:186 feet (57 m)
1032:The Bridge Builders
661:Charleston, SC 1966
658:'s 2010 album
576:Extreme Engineering
298:cable-stayed bridge
294:Cooper River Bridge
288:referred to as the
167:Cable-stayed bridge
143:Cooper River Bridge
71:32.80278; -79.91500
62: /
876:2000-09-15 at the
827:. Charleston, SC:
804:on August 12, 2007
606:In popular culture
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528:Longmont, Colorado
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395:Arthur Ravenel Jr.
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384:Arthur Ravenel Jr.
318:Western Hemisphere
280:Arthur Ravenel Jr.
223:July 16, 2005
141:The Ravenel Bridge
85:Bikes, pedestrians
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1106:Charleston Harbor
1060:Crossings of the
891:"High-rise remit"
524:Norfolk, Virginia
520:Tidewater Skanska
411:Charleston County
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959:Porter, Arlie: "
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911:. Retrieved
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397:ran for the
391:Grace Bridge
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371:Construction
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322:design–build
302:Cooper River
293:
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286:colloquially
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197:Longest span
173:Total length
120:
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104:Cooper River
18:
839:October 10,
740:. Tylin.com
643:, starring
69: /
44:Coordinates
1124:Categories
1102:Downstream
1026:Structurae
724:References
582:Bridge Run
310:Charleston
252:Statistics
230:2005-07-16
94:US 17
57:79°54′54″W
54:32°48′10″N
980:The State
903:1359-7493
300:over the
1075:Upstream
1008:Archived
996:Archived
952:(2004).
945:Archived
913:July 26,
874:Archived
808:June 27,
681:See also
670:Reckless
292:and the
267:Location
238:Replaces
1082:Former
1014:, from
969:Archive
376:Funding
332:History
296:) is a
228: (
215:History
100:Crosses
82:Carries
934:
901:
744:May 5,
624:, and
440:Design
367:port.
282:Bridge
262:96,300
220:Opened
189:Height
163:Design
110:Locale
1016:SCDOT
762:SCDOT
364:Wando
181:Width
152:SCDOT
114:From:
963:.",
932:ISBN
915:2008
899:ISSN
841:2019
810:2007
746:2013
622:Xbox
548:PERI
277:The
1023:at
978:."
522:of
312:to
304:in
121:To:
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856:,
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754:^
677:.
651:.
626:PC
620:,
578:.
328:.
971:.
917:.
843:.
812:.
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