Another malfunction closes Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort, causing traffic mayhem
The Woods Memorial Bridge was closed again for a malfunction Tuesday morning, forcing motorists to use an alternate route.
Beaufort police made that announcement to the public at about 7:45 a.m. Tuesday.
Robert Pinckney, operations manager for LB Services, which manages bridges for the South Carolina Department of Transportation, said the bridged closed at 7 a.m. but was open again by 8 a.m.
It was the second time in three weeks a malfunction has closed the historic bridge.
On Sept. 29, traffic was halted for just under an hour while a bridge technician made repairs.
The 64-year-old span opened for service in 1959 and was placed on The National Registry of Historic Places this January. In 2021, the bridge averaged 13,700 vehicle crossings a day.
The closure Tuesday morning came at around 8 a.m. during the rush hour, complicating travel not only between Beaufort and Lady’s Island and the sea islands but also in Port Royal. That’s because the closure of the Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort pushes traffic to the Ribaut Road/Lady’s Island Drive intersection, which leads to the Lady’s Island Bridge to Lady’s Island and the Sea Islands.
Port Royal police officers were directing traffic at the Lady’s Island/Ribaut Road intersection in Port Royal Tuesday morning.
“When the Woods bridge goes down it creates mayhem in Port Royal,” said Van Willis, the town manager for Port Royal. “Every bit of traffic then needs to go through that intersection.”
Some 30,000 cars a day use Ribaut Road.
This story was originally published October 17, 2023 at 10:05 AM.
