New Cooper River Bridge
Pearman Bridge is on the right and the Grace Memorial Bridge is on the left
Coordinates32°48′6.59″N 79°55′52.43″W / 32.8018306°N 79.9312306°W / 32.8018306; -79.9312306
Carries US 17
CrossesCooper River and Town Creek
LocaleCharleston, SC
Official nameSilas N. Pearman Bridge
Maintained bySCDOT
Characteristics
DesignCantilever truss with suspended center span
Width40 ft (12 m)
Height250 ft (76 m)
Longest span760 ft (232 m)
Clearance below155 ft (47 m)
History
Construction end1966
OpenedApril 29, 1966
ClosedJuly 16, 2005
Location

The Silas N. Pearman Bridge, known locally as the New Cooper River Bridge from the opening date to the groundbreaking of its replacement, was a cantilever bridge that crossed the Cooper River in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. It opened in 1966 to relieve traffic congestion on the companion John P. Grace Memorial Bridge. It was built by the South Carolina Department of Transportation and was designed by HNTB Corporation.

Design

At the time it opened, it consisted of two lanes to carry US 17 northbound traffic and one lane that was reversible. The two lanes of the Grace Bridge were then made to carry only southbound traffic. In this manner, the reversible lane could be used in the direction of heavy traffic in the mornings and evenings as Mount Pleasant was effectively a bedroom community at the time.

History

A ceremony to mark the start of construction of the Pearman Bridge was held on May 2, 1963.[1] The US$15 million bridge opened to traffic on April 29, 1966. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by 500 people.[2]

The bridge was named for Silas Nathaniel Pearman, who served as chief engineer from 1947 to 1961 and then as chief commissioner from 1961 to 1976. Pearman graduated from Clemson University in 1924 and started at the highway department as a surveyor. Pearman died in 1996.[3][4][5]

Once the Grace Bridge was posted with a load limit and could not carry large trucks, the reversible lane was made southbound permanently. This ensured that trucks had access across the Cooper River at all times, but also meant that there was always oncoming traffic on the Pearman Bridge, causing fatal head-on collisions. The transportation department installed plastic delineators on the bridge during its final years.

Demolition

Both bridges were replaced by the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge in 2005. Demolition of the Pearman Bridge started on August 6, 2005. One of the piers was left standing as a sort of memorial to the bridge, and can be seen by motorists entering the new bridge from East Bay Street in Charleston.

References

  1. ↑ "Ceremonies Set to Mark Start of Work on Span". Evening Post. Charleston, South Carolina. April 18, 1963. p. 9B.
  2. ↑ "Charleston Bridge Opened". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. April 30, 1966. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Workman, W. D. (November 24, 1960). "Will Pearman Be Next Highway Commissioner?". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Pearman Named to Chief Highway Post". The Greenville News. Greenville, South Carolina. January 10, 1961. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ Surratt, Clark (November 6, 1996). "Pearman, ex-roads head, dies at 92". The State. Columbia, South Carolina. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
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