Posted on 05/07/2005 12:32:15 PM PDT by SC Swamp Fox
Awesome piece of engineering and a beautiful piece of art too.
Re paving:
Take your time, but get it right.
Great shot!
Just scroll down. (Broadband recommended.)
The old, old bridge had an astronomical pucker factor.
It also had a tendency to "drift" downstream.
That said, El Cid cadets will now have a better chance of making it back from leave before Taps.
I didn't take the pictures. I read the text only story about the bridge being 99% done and just did a google search for the pictures.
That is a beautiful bridge - I had no idea concrete was so tempermental - good job of them to wait and get it done correctly!
Great pics any way. I have buddy I met in Florence when my nephew was playing at Camden. He is retired Navy I think. I haven't talked to him in a year or so.
He has a very pretty daughter that is going to Francis Marion University.
How sad. I really loved the old bridges. Especially since they drove my ex wife crazy when we crossed them. I always felt so bad for her when she felt ill going across them, but since her pulling the trigger on our marriage, that compasion has changed to a fond memorie of the faint look on her face as we crossed on the old bridges.
Very true. The first time I ever rode over the old, old bridge (before the 'new' bridge was even in existence), it was the experience of a lifetime. Then, the first time I drove over it, was another memorable experience. Although the 'newest' bridge is beautiful, and I understand its need, the two older bridges will be missed, at least by me.
Agreed!
The first time I ever visited Charleston and had to go to Mount Pleasant, I made the serious mistake of driving over the older of the two bridges, the two-lane one.
Never. Freaking. AGAIN.
Every time after that, I always made sure I'd end up on the three-lane bridge, no matter what traffic gyrations I had to do to do it!
}:-)4
It isn't so bad now that both lanes travel in the same direction, it was a hair-raiser when it was two-way, especially when a big truck was coming at you.
Yeah, those were the good old days, ha ha.
I also remember the old bridge in Vicksburg that crossed the Mississippi into Louisianna, it was very narrow & long. They replaced it about 30 years ago. It was very scary too.
My first trip was when I was about 8 years old. I remember my Dad turning the corner and we looked straight up - unbelievable. Then, one lane each way, with a small cable on the right between us and the river below was very scary. And the lanes were VERY narrow!.
I was 19, on leave from the Navy and driving down to visit two of my best friends. (One at Charleston AFB, one at the Citadel.) I decided to take the scenic route down US-17 and had no idea what I was getting into. What should have been an 8 hour drive from Norfolk turned into a 12 hour one, capped off at the end with a white-knuckle, bladder-cramping drive over that bridge. My '72 Grand Prix filled the right lane...semi trucks to the left of me, a couple of steel cables and certain death to the right of me. I got really drunk that night.
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