Crash blocks Gervais Street bridge and entrance to downtown Columbia
A crash on the Gervais Street bridge caused a traffic jam and delayed drivers making the Thursday morning commute.
There was a two-vehicle collision on the bridge, the Columbia Fire Department told The State.
Information about what caused the wreck on one of the main thoroughfares connecting downtown Columbia and West Columbia was not available.
At least one fire engine was blocking traffic in the eastbound lane.
No injuries have been reported. There was no word if anything went off of the bridge and into the Congaree River.
Information about how long the bridge was blocked was not available.
Last year, an average of 26,900 drivers crossed the bridge daily, according to the South Carolina Department of Transportation.
Prior to Thursday, there have been 12 collisions on the Gervais Street bridge between January 2024 and December 2025, The State previously reported. The bridge has narrow lanes, and improper lane usage was the primary factor in nearly half of the past crashes.
When construction on the bridge, as it’s currently constituted, was completed in June 1928, it had the widest roadway in South Carolina, The State reported. Now, its lanes are each about four feet shorter in width than is recommended for bridges built today.
