Late yesterday, public safety officials with the City of Charleston temporarily closed the Daniel Island Drive Bridge over Beresford Creek after a routine inspection by engineers at JMT Inc. found deterioration to one of the beams at the southern end of the bridge.
JMT has advised the city to safely reopen the bridge to non-truck vehicles as soon as the following two recommendations have been implemented:
1. Installation of a two-inch thick steel plate along a specific section of the bridge. The City has special-ordered this plate, and has been told to expect delivery in the middle of next week.
2. Deployment of signs prohibiting vehicles over a certain weight (i.e. trucks) from crossing the bridge. The City's Department of Traffic and Transportation is currently producing and preparing to install SCDOT-compatible signage announcing these new weight restrictions.
Assuming timely delivery of the plate, the bridge should be open again to non-truck traffic late next week.
Between now and then, city officials are taking several steps to mitigate the effects of the temporary closure:
- Preparation and installation of wayfinding directional signage to help citizens avoid unnecessary trips through the affected area
- 24/7 traffic monitoring to ensure that traffic light signalization is optimal as new travel patterns emerge
- Presence of public safety officers during peak travel times to assist traffic flow as necessary
Interim Public Services Director Tom O'Brien said, "As always, public safety is job one, but we also want to do everything we can to mitigate the effects of this temporary closure on our citizens. We're sorry for this inconvenience, and will continue to work to get the bridge safely re-opened for non-truck traffic by late next week."