Bridge Spans Old Record

Hundreds of people filled an eight-lane highway Saturday to dedicate the $632-million Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River, the longest cable-stayed span in North America.

“We have created not only a bridge, but a thing of beauty,” said Arthur Ravenel Jr., the former state senator and U.S. congressman for whom the structure is named.

The bridge’s 1,546-foot main span is supported by cables stretching down from the tops of a pair of diamond-shaped, 570-foot-tall towers. Unlike suspension bridges such as San Francisco’s Golden Gate, where the deck is suspended beneath two hefty main cables that connect the towers in a lengthy curve, the Ravenel cables extend directly from the towers to the deck.

The eight-lane bridge, which took four years to build, carries U.S. 17 between Charleston and Mount Pleasant, S.C., along with pedestrian and bicycle lanes. The main span is about 200 feet above the water and will allow larger cargo ships to enter the port.

The Ravenel’s main span is 20 feet longer than the Alex Fraser Bridge in Vancouver, Canada, which had been the longest on the continent.

Former U.S. Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.), who helped get millions in federal money for the bridge, joked that it was “the finest pork” he had ever seen.

The dedication ceremonies capped a week of celebrations. Thursday evening, thousands lined the sides of Charleston Harbor and watched from boats as a huge fireworks display illuminated the bridge.

The bridge replaces two smaller spans that will be removed.