Woods Memorial Bridge closing for maintenance Sunday night into Monday morning, SCDOT says
The Woods Memorial Bridge will close to vehicle and pedestrian traffic between 8 p.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. Monday as long-anticipated maintenance is completed on the iconic span connecting downtown Beaufort and Lady’s Island, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Crews will use the closure to install a new set of gates intended to block motorists when the swing bridge opens to let boats pass through. The gates were prone to electrical issues that would unexpectedly close the bridge to vehicle traffic, creating major traffic backups in Beaufort and Port Royal.
The $500K fix to the gate system was originally scheduled for completion around Memorial Day 2024, but the project was moved back due to “production delays,” according to SCDOT spokesperson Hannah Robinson.
Traffic backups may occur on Lady’s Island Drive and Ribaut Road during the closure as motorists take the only other available route between the Beaufort area and Beaufort County’s sea islands. About 14,000 cars use the bridge to cross the Beaufort River every day.
The swing device will still be functional during the 10-hour closure, allowing marine traffic to pass under the bridge unimpeded, Robinson said.
Also called the Lady’s Island Bridge, the 248-foot span across the Beaufort River opened for service in 1959 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in January 2023. It was featured prominently in the classic film “Forrest Gump” as a stand-in for a bridge across the Mississippi River.
Until Dec. 9, the Coast Guard is seeking the public’s feedback on its proposed changes to the swing bridge’s schedule. Under the new proposal, the bridge wouldn’t open to boat traffic during high-traffic periods in the morning and afternoon, with the exception of emergencies.
This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 2:22 PM.
