If you’re craving a road trip these days, then we feel ya. In light of the recent situation, we’re all staying home a little more than we’d like. But cheer up, South Carolina. This, too, shall pass and we’ll soon be on the road again, exploring all of the best parts of the Palmetto State – from the mountains to the sea and all points in between.
If the Charleston and Mount Pleasant areas are on your radar for an upcoming day trip or weekend getaway when it's safe to resume leisurely travel again, then you'll have the pleasure of getting acquainted (or reacquainted) with the longest bridge in the entire state: the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge.
Clocking in at an impressive 13,200 feet (that converts to 2.5 miles, by the way), the bridge is more than just a thoroughfare for locals and visitors to cross the water.
It's an architectural and engineering masterpiece that boasts eight lanes for vehicular traffic, plus an additonal two six-foot lanes — one each for pedestrians and non-motorized bicycles.
Its predecessors were the two-lane Grace Memorial Bridge (seen at right) and the Silas Pearman (with three lanes and seen on the left). They're shown here during the process of being dismantled and/or demolished.
And while the old bridges were outdated and a bit of an eyesore, the Ravenel Bridge towers over the landscape and turns the area into a living art gallery with the bridge as one of the main exhibits.
We could go into all of the technical aspects of why this bridge is so awesome, but you can read all about the reasons you should visit in this previous article — when you have the time, of course.
We will say, though, that while crossing the Rav in a vehicle is exciting, taking a walk up to the top of the first span closest to the Mount Pleasant side is quite simply exhilarating.
