Posted on 07/16/2005 5:42:49 PM PDT by SmithL
Charleston, S.C. -- Hundreds of people filled an eight-lane highway in place of cars and trucks Saturday to dedicate the $632 million Ravenel Bridge over the Cooper River, the longest cable-stayed span in North America.
"We have created not only a bridge, but a thing of beauty," said Arthur Ravenel Jr., the former state senator and U.S. congressman for whom the span is named.
The bridge's 1,546-foot main span is supported by cables stretching down from the tops of a pair of diamond-shaped, 570-foot-tall towers. Unlike suspension spans such as San Francisco's Golden Gate, where the deck is suspended beneath two hefty main cables that connect the towers in a lengthy curve, the Ravenel cables extend directly from the towers to the deck.
"It's a wonderful, beautiful structure," Ravenel told the crowd of at least 1,500 people.
The eight-lane bridge, which took four years to build, carries U.S. 17 between Charleston and Mount Pleasant, along with pedestrian and bicycle lanes. The main span is about 200 feet above the water and will allow larger cargo ships to enter the port. Construction began four years ago, and the bridge was finished about a year ahead of schedule.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
The Robert Byrd Memorial ... Oh, wait! Wrong state!
Please Disregard.
Our Big Mac has never gotten the recognition it deserved. It had the unfortunate fate of being built in a sparsely populated area of northern Michigan.
It was the worlds longest single span suspension bridge at just over 5 miles including approaches until two longer bridges of the same type were completed in Japan in about 95.
It's a true engeneering marvel and I get a thrill everytime I cross it.
Always a smartass!! LOL
I'm outside of Columbia, and I sure wish I could've been down there Thursday night for the fireworks show. At the conclusion of the fireworks show, they turned on the lights on the bridge for the first time. I can't wait to see the bridge, because I'm sure the pictures just don't do it justice.
Th' Chah'st'n skyline jus' won't be da same widdout th' ol' Coopah Rivah bridges stickin' up der!
Go here: http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/0705/240966.html for an article about the bridge and check out the pic they used. LOL
It'd be cool to ride across, methinks.
I've ridden across the Golden Gate several times, but have been too busy watching out for homicidal cagers to enjoy the view.
My wife is from Charleston and I always hated driving over the "old" Cooper River bridge. It always struck as an exceptional rickity old thing...of course I grew up in the desert in Arizona so driving over large bodies of deep water was a pretty alien concept to me!
Is English your second language? or are you a tourist.
Put your ass on a motorcycle in traffic sometime, chump. You'll catch on.
I've always loved jogging across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's about three miles, round trip. Maybe all you Charleston people will be taking in a fabulous view while you exercize. Maybe I'll join you.
" I always hated driving over the "old" Cooper River bridge. It always struck as an exceptional rickity old thing..."
Been to Charleston many times and crossed the "old" bridge everytime we go. Like you, the Cooper river bridge gave me the willies. May drive down next weekend and check it out.
I love the Big Mac too! We go across it 2-3 times a year when vacationing "Up North". It's a thrill every time we go. We also can't wait to go over the new Cooper River bridge next time we're down in the Charleston area. It looks very cool as well.
And of course, you hold your feet up the whole way across, right? :)
Kinda freaky the first time you cross. It's center lanes are steel grates and when you drive on them you can look down and see the water underneath.....way underneath.
Which is why one only drives in the center lanes if the outer lanes are closed! The view's a little smaller, but ever since that Yugo went over the side....
The cable bridge (below) where I live in Tri-Cities, Washington, was built around 1979. They are very intriguing structures because they appear so different looking depending on where you are viewing them from. Sometimes those cables appear to be circular as if you were looking at a TeePee.
Who knows how many other subcompacts have disappeared into the drink.
Is that the bridge you only see a piece remaining in the move, I Robot?
I don't know did the movie take place in Michigan? I haven't seen it yet.
I think it was near a great lake but of course the lake was dry due to global warming, no politics there.
Total Length of Bridge (5 Miles) 26,372 Ft.
Total Length of Steel Superstructure 19,243 Ft.
Length of Suspension Bridge (including Anchorages) 8,614 Ft.
Total Length of North Approach 7,129 Ft.
Length of Main Span (between Main Towers) 3,800 Ft.
Am I not reading this correctly? According to these figures, Mighty Mac is bigger. Somebody correct or confirm...this will drive me crazy as I pack up the schoolroom!
Yes, for scenery you can't beat the UP.
Our famouse bridge had the mistake of being built PERIOD but it got lots of recognition.:-)
Eldridge’s plan called for a 5,000 foot, two-lane suspension bridge. When completed, the structure would be the third longest suspension bridge in the world.
Narrows Suspension Bridge AKA "Galloping Gertie."
San Francisco is the future of Charleston--and Savannah. I hate to see it happen, but impermanence is the only constant.
Ive seen some pretty awesome footage of that one.
Where is this bridge in relation to the 'Blue Bridge'? I've never seen the cable stayed bridge but then I live in Texas...:-)
That's the one...
The Cable Bridge is about 2 miles east of the Blue Bridge. Where the OLD GREEN BRIDGE used to be on the Columbia River.
Evidently you have been here before in order to know of the Blue Bridge. Is that correct?
Interesting stats on the Big Mac. Nearly 850 feet from the tops of the towers to the bottom of the lake.
http://www.mackinacbridge.org/
Glad I didn't know about the disappearing Yugo the other times we crossed the Big Mac. The first time hubby took me across was pretty bad. It was sort of windy. As in very. The maximum speed was posted at like 15mph. There had been a tornado early in the morning, and the power was knocked out of a good portion of Michigan, from Lansing up to Mackinaw City. We were oblivious to all the bad weather because our hotel was on the right side of the power grid. Or something. Anywho, we drove across it. Slowly. And in the center lane.
The last time we went across was much better.
On the contrary. It provided a valuable lesson in
aerodynamics for all the bridges that came after it.
And retrofits to existing bridges.
"Its main span is 20 feet longer than the Alex Fraser Bridge in Victoria, British Columbia, which had been the longest on the continent."
Wrong info. The Alex Fraser Bridge is in the South Surrey/Delta area - part of the Greater Vancouver area. Victoria is on the island, an hour and a half away be ferry.
I know - I live in South Burnaby, and see the Alex Fraser bridge outside my window.
"On the contrary. It provided a valuable lesson in
aerodynamics for all the bridges that came after it."
That's why there is an opening down the center of the Mackinaw bridge.
I miss the tunnel. :(
That is true. I was just being flippant. :-)
About 180 degrees from where the picture begins is 1/2 of a person walking -- kinda creepy.
I have been there several times. I was employed in the Tacoma area until the end of 2003 and my duties sometimes required me to travel to Kennewick. I have watched via the Internet the construction of the new Narrows bridge. maybe I'll get to go back there to see the finished product.
Regards,
Height above canyon floor: 1053 ft.
Drive on this one some time, Family and I did it in 1971. Scary, you can bet it was!.
The movie of that bridge must be part over every high school physics course (at least in the 1970's) when covering oscillating systems (harmonics).
You would REALLY get a scare then, if you took the trip I did last December: Near Norfolk, VA, one not only crosses bridges over large, deep bodies of water, but then one dives down through tunnels UNDER the water, dug deep enough to allow ships to pass overhead. There is just something alien about driving under tons and tons of water while thinking if there were a 'breach' and water came rushing in, there would be absolutely no way to escape.....
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