A gaggle of Gumps crossing Woods Memorial Bridge will affect cars, boats Saturday morning
A gaggle of (Forrest) Gumps will invade the Woods Memorial Bridge and other nearby routes Saturday morning, as racers cross the iconic span over the Beaufort River for the annual Run Forrest Run 5K.
The gaggle will necessitate the swing bridge’s closing from 6:30 to 9:45 a.m. Saturday for vehicle and tugboat traffic, according to the SC Department of Transportation. Drivers should expect traffic delays in the area and seek alternate routes across the waterway, such as the McTeer Bridge.
The easternmost blocks of Bay Street as well as Meridian Road on Lady’s Island will also be used for the racecourse, according to the event website.
Part of weekend festivities for 2023’s Beaufort Shrimp Festival, the 5K celebrates the Lowcountry’s prominent role in the 1994 classic “Forrest Gump,” which features a famous scene of Forrest running across the Woods Memorial Bridge. Runners are encouraged to dress as the film’s titular character and take photos with an “impersonator” at the start and finish lines.
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.
A pair of “mechanical malfunctions” temporarily closed the bridge twice in the same day at the end of September.
