Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, South Carolina (with Map & Photos)

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge South Carolina


Arthur Ravenel Jr
. the Younger Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge built over the Cooper River in South Carolina, connecting downtown Charleston and the suburb of Mount Pleasant. It opened in 2005, replacing two older bridges, and is the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere.

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge South Carolina 2
Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge South Carolina

The main part of the problems of financing the bridge was solved by retired US Congressman Arthur Ravenel Jr., after whom the bridge was named. The total cost of the bridge was about $ 700 million. The bridge structure consists of two pylons 175 meters high. The total length of the bridge is 4 kilometers. The carriageway consists of eight lanes, four in each direction. There are also separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists.

Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge South Carolina 3
Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge South Carolina

The design of the bridge is designed to reflect the frequent natural disasters in the area. It can withstand gusts of wind in excess of 480 km / h and earthquakes rated 7.4 on the Richter Scale.

The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge is home to the annual 10 km race, which attracts up to 50,000 people and takes place on the first weekend of April.

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge Map