While Charleston is known for its historic neighborhoods and plantations, here in Charleston we are very proud of our beautiful bridge, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, that spans the Cooper River between peninsular Charleston and the town of Mt. Pleasant. Completed in 2005, at 1,546 feet the Ravenel Bridge is the third longest among cable stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere – right here in Charleston! Named for the former Congressman and State Senator who lead the charge in raising money for the bridge’s construction, the designers of this modern bridge looked to Charleston’s history when designing the safety features of the bridge. It is built to withstand hurricane force winds up to 300 mph, which is far stronger than those of 1989’s Hurricane Hugo; and the bridge will endure an earthquake that reaches up to 7.4 on the richter scale, much higher than that of the famous Charleston Earthquake of 1886.

The Ravenel Bridge is not only admired for its design and safety features, however. The bridge also features a twelve foot bike/pedestrian path that spans the length of the bridge, allowing residents and visitors to experience beautiful views over Charleston Harbor while they get a little excercise. It is also home to one of Charleston’s biggest events of the year, 6.2 mile Cooper River Bridge Run, the third largest 10k in the U.S., which draws roughly 40,000 competitors both from Charleston and all over the world. We love our bridge, and know you will too.

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