A Brief History of the Cooper River Bridges

During their existence, the “old” Cooper River bridges enjoyed a number of accolades which included being the longest of its kind, and then the longest in the state. Many of Charleston’s population will remember both the “old” and “new” bridges... 

Charleston Mayor John Grace and friends had long dreamed of a bridge across the inner harbor connecting Charleston to Mount Pleasant.  The ferry service between the city and East Cooper had become irregular. The mayor and his taskforce began a renovation of the city’s waterfront and fostered a campaign for new tourism in Charleston. The positive responses to the mayor’s initiatives quickly led to a new push for the bridge across the Cooper.  

In 1901, Charleston’s mayor and other determined entrepreneurs and investors pushed their plan to expand the city from the peninsula out to the large island areas both to the north and south. In 1926, The Cooper River Bridge, Inc., began their efforts with John Grace as their attorney with construction beginning in May of 1928. It was completed 15 months later, 3 months ahead of schedule, but at a cost of 5.75 million dollars and fourteen lives. 

Three days of events of various nature illustrated the joy and hope for the future growth of the greater Charleston area. More than 11,000 vehicles crossed the NEW Cooper River Bridge, spanning 210 feet in length and 20 feet in width that weekend. Almost $5,000.00 in tolls were collected. The growth of the Mount Pleasant area began with new schools being built and industries locating in the surrounding community because of the new connection to the Charleston peninsula. 

The euphoria surrounding the bridge project was cut short by the stock market crash merely months later. The great Depression didn’t cause the bridge to collapse, but the diverse enterprises launched with hope for the future did suffer. The bridge corporation, faced with financial failure and bankruptcy, sold its interest to Charleston County (1941) who subsequently sold the bridge to the state (1945). The sale included the removal of the tolls which the local populace found oppressive.   

Over the years it became obvious that the Grace bridge wasn’t enough for the volume of traffic making the trip over the Cooper. Many collisions forced the widening of the structure, adding a 20-foot buffer in the middle, to allow damaged vehicles to be moved to the safety zone freeing up the travel lanes. The “new” bridge was opened to the public in 1968 without the fanfare of its twin just a few yards up the river. With just three lanes, the Silas Pearman bridge helped alleviate the current logjam but illustrated the continuing demand for a more viable road, resulting in opening the Arthur Ravenal bridge in 2005. 

The “old” Grace Memorial bridge and the “new” Silas Pearman bridge were subsequently scheduled for demolition due to the ravages of age and obsoletion. Eighty years of use had taken its toll and the bridges came tumblin’ down with great sadness and public attention. Portions of the Grace bridge foundation can still be seen at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park on the East Cooper side of the bridge.   

The Cooper River Bridge Run originated on these bridges on April 2, 1978 with over 1,000 participants who began the race, but only 766 who completed it due to the heat (not the humidity, in this case)! 

Whether you were here to enjoy the beautiful silhouettes of this pair of truss bridges or just want to drink in our take on them—they were quite the sight. Charleston’s skyline has changed slightly upon the replacement of the Old Bridges with the diamond of the Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, but it is just as breathtaking! 

~  David Joyner and Kristen N. Granet