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Ben Sawyer Bridge

SC PICTURE PROJECT 3 Comments

SC Picture Project / Charleston County / Ben Sawyer Bridge

The Ben Sawyer Bridge connecting Mount Pleasant with Sullivan’s Island is one of nine moveable bridges remaining in South Carolina. The bridge was built in 1945, using the drawbridge from the former Pitt Street Bridge.

Ben Sawyer Bridge
Vanessa Kauffmann of Charleston, 2012 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The bridge rotates on a central axis to allow boat travel along the Intracoastal Waterway. The swing-span portion of the bridge was replaced in 2010, retaining the appearance of the original but outfitting the bridge with modern technology. When the Isle of Palms Connector was constructed in 1993, the Ben Sawyer Bridge was no longer the only road access to the beaches of Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms. The bridge is named for Aiken County native Benjamin Mack Sawyer, who served as the Chief Highway Commissioner and Executive Director of the South Carolina Department of Transportation from 1926 until his death in 1940.

Ben Sawyer Skyline
Jim Miller of Mount Pleasant, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

The Pitt Street Bridge, also called the Cove Inlet Bridge, was built in 1898. It originally accommodated a trolley that passed over the cove, and in the 1920s the bridge was widened to allow for vehicular traffic. A drawbridge was added at this time. The trolley discontinued service in 1927, and the Pitt Street Bridge closed to traffic when this bridge was built.

Ben Sawyer Bridge

Billy Ellison of Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

When Hurricane Hugo made landfall on Sullivan’s Island just after midnight on September 22, 1989, the Ben Sawyer bridge was damaged to the extent that images of the drawbridge tilted into the waterway made national news and became an iconic image of the category-4 storm’s destruction. The bridge was quickly repaired and operating again by October. Today the Ben Sawyer Bridge continues to be a popular access to one of South Carolina’s beloved beaches.

Ben Sawyer Bridge

Camille Bowdoin of Charleston, 2018 © Do Not Use Without Written Consent

Moveable Bridges in South Carolina


UPDATE: Since this list was created, the Wando River Swing Bridge between Charleston and Berkeley counties has been replaced by a fixed-span bridge. These are the only moveable bridges left in our state:

Harbor River Swing Bridge
Harbor River Swing Bridge
Woods Bridge Beaufort
Woods Memorial Bridge
Wappoo Bridge
Wappoo Creek Bridge
Ben Sawyer Bridge
Ben Sawyer Bridge
Little River Truss Bridge
Little River Swing Bridge
Socastee Bridge
Socastee Bridge
Ashley River Bridge
Ashley River Bridges
Sixth Street Bridge
Sixth Street Bridge

Plan Your Trip: Ben Sawyer Bridge

Where is Ben Sawyer Bridge located?
Address: South Carolina Highway 703, Sullivan's Island, SC 29482
GPS Coordinates: 32.772593,-79.842017
What else should I see?
Battery Gadsden 1.5 miles
Sullivan's Island Lighthouse 1.6 miles
Pitt Street Bridge 1.9 miles
Post Chapel of Fort Moultrie 1.9 miles
Show me more like this!
  • See other South Carolina Bridges
  • Mount Pleasant Historic Sites
    Ben Sawyer Bridge Map

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bill Murdoch says

      July 25, 2018 at 8:08 AM

      There is also the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge in Myrtle Beach. https://www.waterwayguide.com/bridge/3-46/barefoot-landing-swing-bridge

      Reply
      • SCIWAY says

        July 26, 2018 at 12:44 AM

        Oh yes, there is. Thank you for the update!

        Reply
    2. Mike Lovett says

      January 4, 2015 at 2:02 PM

      One of the pleasant things about driving over the Ben Sawyer Bridge was seeing the American flag flying. It always gave you some indication of the wind speed, but more importantly to Vets like myself, it stirred pride in our nation. About 3 months ago, the flag disappeared. Can anyone tell me what happened to it and why it has not been replaced???

      Reply

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    ABOUT US

    We are a federally-recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to preserve the history of South Carolina’s historic, natural, and cultural landmarks before they are lost to time. This website serves as a permanent digital archive of over 2,300 South Carolina landmarks – and counting. Learn more about our work.

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