Hurricane Hugo tore the Ben Sawyer Bridge apart in 1989. For weeks, there was no way to drive to Sullivan’s Island. Since then, the Isle of Palms Connector has been built which can also shuttle visitors and residents to and from the mainland. But when the Ben Sawyer was put back into use right after Hugo, it has gotten no major upgrade.
But the Department of Transportation has announced a plan to change that. The bridge will be dismantled down to the piers and a new steel superstructure will be placed on top. The cost of this project is estimated 35 Million dollars. Funding will be provided by both the federal and state government, with 80% coming from the federal level.
During construction, the bridge will be closed for at least one week. No time has been set for the start of construction, but it is unlikely to begin for at least one year, possibly in the Fall of 2008.
Source: WCBD-TV(NBC 2)
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