Commuters rejoice! The Woods bridge opening schedule is about to get more vehicle-friendly

The city of Beaufort is offering something rarely heard these days: positive news for commuters. Beginning March 25, the historic Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort will be open to uninterrupted vehicle traffic every weekday during the morning and afternoon commutes. This trial period will last six months and end with a review of the findings.

At least temporarily, the closing of the bridge for 8 to 10 minutes at a time for a passing boat — and longer for multiple vessels — during the day’s busiest commutes will be one fewer headache commuters will be forced to endure.

The city announced the bridge’s big schedule change Friday. The passage is the essential connection between Beaufort and the Sea Islands used by thousands of cars. Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall said “it has been a common plea we have heard from residents even before I arrived in the city about the opening schedule and sitting and waiting during rush-hour when traffic is heavier.”

The Coast Guard, which is responsible for managing the passage as a navigable waterway, has authorized the state’s department of transportation, which operates the bridge, to allow for the passage of vehicular traffic from 6 a.m. to 9:29 a.m. and 3:31 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday from March 25 to Sept. 29, Marshall said.

Currently, the swing mechanism on the bridge opens once an hour on the half hour to let boat traffic through. During these periods, but especially during rush hours, there is considerable traffic backup on both sides of the bridge and can be exacerbated by the number of boats needing to pass through.

During non-rush hour periods from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, the bridge will continue to open once an hour on the half hour, as needed.

It’s a “huge deal”

Marshall called the Coast Guard’s decision to allow the schedule change “a huge deal.” “They have purview over the Intercoastal Waterway and marine traffic through it,” Marshall said.

First, the process involved the city and the county getting SDOT’s support in submitting a request to the Coast Guard for the schedule modification. “It’s not easy to get an opening schedule for a draw bridge changed in the state of South Carolina,” Marshall said.

The temporary change will test the feasibility of the schedule, and could result in a permanent change after the evaluation period, SCDOT said.

The draw tender, who operates the opening and closing of the bridge, will still be authorized to modify the bridge schedule in dire situations, the city noted. Those reasons include a vehicle in distress, where a delay would endanger life or property, commercial vessels engaged in rescue or emergency salvage operations and vessels seeking shelter from severe weather.

Concerned about the extensive traffic backup caused by the openings of the swing bridge during rush hours, the City of Beaufort, Beaufort County, and SCDOT, with help from state Rep. Shannon Erickson, worked on possible solutions for about six months, Assistant County Administrator Jared Fralix said.

SCDOT requested that the Coast Guard change the bridge opening to a schedule similar to the Wappoo Creek Bridge near James Island, Fralix said.

Thanks to that request, Fralix said, the Coast Guard has agreed to a temporary deviation from the existing opening schedule for a 6-month trial period. “After the trial, they will assess the changes to determine if permanent changes are acceptable,” Fralix said.