The McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge, or the Dawhoo River Bridge, connects Edisto Island on the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. It carries South Carolina Highway 174. The bridge is named for McKinley Washington Jr., who served in the South Carolina General Assembly, representing the area and leading the effort to appropriate funds to replace the bridge.[1][2]
McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 32°38′14″N 80°20′25″W / 32.63722°N 80.34028°W |
| Carries |  SC 174 |
| Crosses | Dawhoo River |
| Locale | Edisto Island, South Carolina |
| Official name | McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge |
| Maintained by | SCDOT |
| ID number | 001040017400400 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Steel girder |
| Total length | 1,702 meters (5,584 ft) |
| Width | 16.4 meters (54 ft) |
| No. of spans | 97 |
| Clearance below | 20.7 meters (68 ft) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 4500 |
| Location | |
 | |
History of the crossing
edit
This is the third bridge in the same location, replacing a swing bridge that caused traffic delays when it opened for boats.
The first bridge opened in 1920 and was a single-lane swing span that was opened manually by the bridge tender.[3] Funds to build the bridge came from $6,000 in bonds sold by the Township Commissioners for Edisto Island. The sale of bonds being authorized by the General Assembly.[4]
The second bridge opened in 1950. It was a two-lane electrically powered swing span.[5] When closed, it only provided for 8 feet (2.4 m) of clearance below the bridge for boat traffic.[6]
The current bridge was dedicated on September 25, 1993.[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Spencer 2008: 171.
- ^ Concurrent Resolution 4598 of the 109th session of the South Carolina General Assembly.
- ^ Spencer, 2008: 133.
- ^ "Act 216 of the 1917 Session of the General Assembly". Acts and Joint Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina. p. 534.
- ^ Spencer, 2008: 133.
- ^ St. Helena Sound (Map). 1:40,000. Nautical Chart. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 1976. 11517. Retrieved 2009-02-08.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Spencer 2008: 171.
- Spencer, Charles (2008). Edisto Island, 1861 to 2006: Ruin, Recovery and Rebirth. The History Press. ISBN 978-1-59629-185-0.
- "Dawhoo River Bridge". NationalBridges.com.[permanent dead link]
External links
edit- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. SC-40, "South Carolina Route 174 Bridge, Spanning Dawhoo River on South Carolina Route 174, Charleston, Charleston County, SC", 6 photos, 11 data pages, 1 photo caption page