Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Ben Sawyer Bridge (SC 703) be closed to traffic?

I am planning a trip up the Intracoastal Waterway and am wondering if there is a change to the bridge opening schedule? Please let me know what the current schedule is and the preferred hailing channel.

When did work on the Ben Sawyer Bridge Rehabilitation begin and when is it expected to be completed?

Is the alignment for Ben Sawyer (SC 703) going to change with the rehabilitation of the bridge?

What is going to happen to the old center section of the bridge?

Is painting or cleaning being done to the cement piers?

How will bicycles be accomodated on the rehabilitated bridge?

How was the decision made to rehabilitate the existing bridge rather than build a new one?

Is the Ben Sawyer Bridge being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)?

How can I get a speaker to come answer questions for my community organizations?

Who is the contractor rehabilitating the bridge?

When will the Ben Sawyer Bridge (SC 703) be closed to traffic?

The contractor is allowed 10 full days (236 hours) to completely close the roadway. During this closure, crews will remove the existing bridge and move the rehabilitated bridge into place. By contract, the dates for this closure must occur between October 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010 and cannot be scheduled between December 15, 2009 and January 3, 2010.

It would be nice to report the exact dates of the bridge closure months in advance, but certain construction milestones must be reached before even a range of dates can be defined. The ten day (236 hour) clock starts ticking at the moment the closure begins, so the exact days and start time will not be known until the last moment when the rehabilitated bridge is ready to be put in place and weather conditions are favorable for maximum utilization of the closure time.

How can I find out about lane closures?

To minimize traffic flow disruptions to traffic flow on and off of Sullivan’s Island the contract for rehabilitating the Ben Sawyer Bridge requires crews to limit activities which will either reduce traffic to one lane or close the roadway. While occasional closures are allowed, these closures are to be minimal and short in duration.

Single lane closure operations will be done between the hours of 9PM to 5AM and require notification through local media and on this website of at least 48 hours notice.

The rehabilitation of the Ben Sawyer Bridge plans to completely close the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) under the bridge for the shifting of the existing bridge from its foundations and the new bridge onto the existing foundations. The closure of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway at the Ben Sawyer Bridge is expected to occur in February 2010. As a potential start date is finalized, a notice to mariners will be sent by the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

The waterway closure will last ten days and will begin two to three days prior to the ten day roadway closure.

The preferred hailing channel for the Ben Sawyer Bridge is Channel 9. The Bridge’s normal opening schedule runs on the hour for Saturdays and Sundays between 9am and 7 pm other times are on demand. The bridge usually opens weekdays on demand except between 7am and 9am and 4 pm and 6pm. Special vessels are exempt from this opening schedule.

When did work on the Ben Sawyer Bridge Rehabilitation begin and when is it expected to be completed?

Construction for the Ben Sawyer Bridge Rehabilitation project began on February 17, 2009 with the contract completion date scheduled for May 5, 2010.

Is the alignment for Ben Sawyer (SC 703) going to change with the rehabilitation of the bridge?

The alignment for the rehabilitated bridge will not change from the existing alignment beyond the fact that the new bridge is slightly wider than the existing bridge.

Construction of the replacement bridge is being done from a temporary work trestle on the western side (harbor side) of the existing bridge. During a ten day closure of the roadway and waterway scheduled for early 2010, the existing bridge will be shifted off of its piers so the replacement bridge can be moved into place.

What is going to happen to the old center section of the bridge?

As soon as the ten day (236 hour) closure begins, the contractor takes ownership of the existing swingspan bridge and its approaches. It is anticipated the swing span portion of the bridge will be recycled as scrap steel.

Is painting or cleaning being done to the cement piers?

The cement piers are painted and cleaned as needed, but a special painting or cleaning job was not included in the work expected by the design/build contractor for the bridge rehabilitation.

How will bicycles be accommodated on the rehabilitated bridge?

The rehabilitated bridge will accommodate pedestrians and cyclists walking their bikes on a 5.5 ft wide sidewalk closely aligned with the existing shared pedestrian/bicycle path on the harbor side of roadway.

The community’s decision to maintain the original swing span bridge’s profile and the desire to minimize closures by utilizing the existing piers constrains the replacement bridge’s width and weight. These constraints enable the bridge to accommodate slightly wider traveling lanes (14 ft on the replacement bridge versus 12 feet on the original bridge) and add a basic sidewalk where there currently exists only a wide curb.

There is not enough space to stripe the approaches and bridge for a separate bicycle lane. Bicyclists are encouraged to dismount and walk over the bridge.

How was the decision made to rehabilitate the existing bridge rather than build a new one?

Hurricane Hugo and new national bridge standards led the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) to address the aging Ben Sawyer span and review hurricane evacuation options for the east cooper islands. The review led SCDOT to build a fixed span hurricane evacuation route from the Isle of Palms, opening the Isle of Palms Connector in 1993.

Community input at public hearings reinforced the desire to maintain the Ben Sawyer Bridge’s aesthetic appearance and current right of way. The SCDOT chose to rehabilitate the truss and approach superstructures and bring in a comparable structure within the right of way under a design/build contract that was signed in the fall of 2008 with construction to begin in 2009.

Is the Ben Sawyer Bridge being funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)?

No, the rehabilitation of the Ben Sawyer Bridge is being completely funded by Federal Highway Adminstration’s funds. It’s funding was determined well before congress’ approval of the ARRA in February of 2009.

How can I get a speaker to come answer questions for my community organizations?

We are more than happy to send a speaker to one of your upcoming meetings. Just send us a request via email, with your mail, address, phone numbers, organization, and a general overview of your interest areas. We will reply to your request with a phone call or reply to your e-mail to determine the best meeting time.

Who is the contractor rehabilitating the bridge?

A design and construction team led by PCL Civil Constructors, Inc. was awarded the design/build contract for this project.