Lanes of the Gervais Street Bridge shutdown Friday night. Here’s why

The eastbound lanes of the Gervais Street Bridge that connects Columbia and West Columbia will be closed Friday night.

The lanes will be blocked beginning at 6:45 p.m., according to the West Columbia Police Department. The eastbound lanes are the lanes that take drivers out of West Columbia and move them toward Columbia.

The lanes are being blocked for the Tunnel to Towers 5k Run and Walk, which honors slain New York City firefighter Stephen Siller.

Siller was off duty on September 11, 2001 when the World Trade Center towers were attacked. He strapped on his firefighting gear and ran through a blocked off city tunnel to help at the burning towers where he died.

The lanes will not be reopen at any specific time, West Columbia spokesperson Anna Huffman said. The bridge will be fully reopened when the last participant crosses the bridge.

David Travis Bland

The State

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David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription