Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge

Woods Memorial Bridge
Coordinates 32°25′39″N 80°40′09″W / 32.42750°N 80.66917°W / 32.42750; -80.66917Coordinates: 32°25′39″N 80°40′09″W / 32.42750°N 80.66917°W / 32.42750; -80.66917
Carries
US 21 Bus.
Crosses Beaufort River (Intracoastal Waterway)
Locale BeaufortLady's Island, South Carolina, United States
Official name Richard V. Woods
Memorial Bridge
Maintained by South Carolina Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design Movable swing
Width 28 feet (8.5 m)
Load limit 20 tons (18 metric tons)
Clearance above 30 feet (9.8m) (closed)
History
Opened 1959

The Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, (known locally as the Woods Bridge) is a swing bridge that connects downtown Beaufort with Lady's Island and the outer Sea Islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The bridge is named in memory of Richard V. Woods (1935–1969), who was a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer killed in the line of duty [1] and was opened on December 17, 1959, having replaced an earlier swing-bridge that was built 1927.[2]

The bridge swings on its central axis to open for boat traffic which is too tall to clear the bridge, and has an operator's station in the center of the span from which an attendant can operate the bridge. Due to the presence of the Intracoastal Waterway, the bridge is required to frequently open for boat traffic to pass through.

The bridge was featured in the film Forrest Gump (1994) as a stand-in for a bridge across the Mississippi River. In the film, Forrest Gump is interviewed by television reporters about his cross-country running trip while crossing the bridge.[3]

Gallery of images

References

  1. http://eatsleepplaybeaufort.com/beauforts-woods-memorial-bridge-unique-in-and-of-its-own/
  2. http://eatsleepplaybeaufort.com/beauforts-woods-memorial-bridge-unique-in-and-of-its-own/
  3. http://www.sciway.net/movies/sc-movie-forrest-gump.html
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