How hot was it on Memorial Day? A steel bridge in SC expanded and had to be closed
It got so hot in the South Carolina Lowcountry on Memorial Day that the heat forced officials to close a steel bridge leading to a popular beach spot, the South Carolina Department of Transportation said.
State officials closed the Ben Sawyer bridge to Sullivan’s Island on Monday night, the DOT said on Twitter. “Extreme heat has caused the steel to expand. This can impact the opening/closing of the bridge,” the DOT said.
Police in Mount Pleasant said the bridge was stuck partially open Monday evening. It was back open to cars a little before 10:30 p.m., the police department said.
“Crews are working tonight to cool the bridge and will make adjustments to the structure in the coming days to improve operations. Currently, the bridge is closed to vehicles and maritime traffic. Nighttime temps should cool the steel. A fire truck may also be used to spray it,” the DOT tweeted at about 10 p.m. Monday.
Sullivan’s Island is a popular beach destination just outside Charleston.
The Charleston area had record high temperatures for Memorial Day, according to the National Weather Service. The high at the Charleston International Airport was 100 degrees Monday, a new record for the day, the NWS said.
“The bridge had the alignment issue just before 5:30 p.m.,” WCSC reports.
“Extreme heat throughout the past several days caused the concrete to expand to the point where it was not possible to close the bridge,” Andy Benke, Sullivan’s Island town administrator, told WCIV.
“A portion of the expansion joint was removed,” Benke said, according to WCIV.
This story was originally published May 28, 2019 at 9:31 AM with the headline "How hot was it on Memorial Day? A steel bridge in SC expanded and had to be closed."
