The Ravenel Bridge, also known as the Cooper River Bridge — particularly to longer time residents of Charleston — creates a signature image for the Lowcountry. Opened in 2005, it replaced two older cantilevered truss spans. The first opened in 1929, and became know as the John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. The second span, the Silas N. Pearman Bridge, opened in 1966 alongside the Grace. Crossing over the older bridges was a bit like driving on roller coasters without all the safety measures.
The new bridge is one of the long cable-stayed bridges in the world and is tall enough to let the largest container ships pass below. It’s eight lanes wide and also includes a pedestrian/biking lane, which serves as one of the most popular exercise destinations in Charleston.
Did you ever drive on the old spans?
when I was small girl I was terrified of the Grace memorial bridge… I would get down on the floorboard of our car, cover myself and scream bloody murder. My first time driving over the bridge was so traumatic, I had to pull over in Mt.Pleasant to throw up….