A Brief History of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

Since the beginning of time, new has replaced old. This isn’t any different when it comes to getting from place to place which includes the structures needed to get there. The Cooper River Bridges were in use for nearly 80 years connecting Downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant.

The traffic flow on US 17 from Charleston to Mount Pleasant and back again could no longer be supported by the deteriorating metal beams of the older bridges. And thus... a new bridge-child was born: The Arthur Ravenel Jr, Bridge. This new bridge was named after the Senator/ Congressman with the plan to raise enough money to make Mount Pleasant Mayor Harry Hallman’s dream a reality.

The ARJ Bridge was erected with Skanska as the managing partner and Parsons Brinckerhoff as the lead bridge designer. The project was meant to portray double diamond-shapes to compliment Charleston’s harbor which teems with boats and sails. Construction was completed in 2005, 1 year ahead of schedule, and opened to the public on July 16th—only 48 months after beginning the project in 2001. The Ravenel Bridge has won many prestigious awards both nationally and globally due to its incredible style, structure, and its savvy green footprint.

The ARJ Bridge in numbers--

It’s the #1 way to reach the #1 City in the World—1 of the longest cable-stayed spans in North America; 2 diamond towers, clocking in at 2.5 miles long; earthquakes under 7.4 on the Richter scale won’t down it; supporting more motor vehicles with 8 lanes plus a 12-foot-wide path added for pedestrians and bikers; erected by more than 40 cranes and raised to 186 ft above the average high-tide mark (which allows for larger import ships); able to withstand 300 mph wind gusts, it stands a wee bit under 573 feet tall; built with 40,000 tons of structural steel and 50,000 tons of reinforcing steel; made up of about 300,000 yds3 of concrete overall; costing just about $650 million dollars in total to bring it to life.

Some refer to the Ravenel Bridge as Charleston's signature bridge, which is a literal statement of the obvious—many of the workers, builders, engineers, and the like have put their signature (in name and hand-print or carving) on this architectural diamond phenomena.

At times the cables can play tricks on the eyes, seeming to disappear on one side only forming a right triangle, but as motion continues, shifting back to the right, the other side returns to focus. Driving under the bridge’s diamond tower and looking up through a sunroof or out of a window is also a neat architectural treat.

To this day, approximately 40,000 people gather on the first weekend of April every year for the 10K Cooper River Bridge Run. The trek begins on Coleman Boulevard in Mount Pleasant, heads over Shem Creek, leads up into the sky, runs under the diamond pyramids and then into historic downtown Charleston complete with a party at the finish line.

We can’t think of a better way to experience all of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Charleston in one weekend! But, even if running or walking isn’t your cup of tea, there are many places to drink in this beauty from all angles throughout Charleston!

~ Kristen N. Granet