SCDOT, local leaders, elected officials drive discussion on bridge

Five days after announcing a ruptured cable had prompted an emergency closure of the westbound lanes of I-526 on the Wando River Bridge connecting Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island, the S.C. Department of Transportation (SCDOT) addressed the public at its third press conference of the week to bring community members up to speed on progress.

“It’s all hands on deck,” reported SCDOT Secretary Christy Hall, who was the first to take to the podium at a late afternoon press conference on May 18. “Between our contractors, our forces, local government, national and international experts, everybody’s done a lot of work, working 24-7, to do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

Crews are in the process of repairing the cable, explained Hall, which is expected to take a total of four weeks to complete. Forensic analysis on the faulty cable is underway and will determine next steps, reported SCDOT Deputy Secretary for Engineering Leland Colvin.

“Once we get the results of that, and get the temporary cables in place, then we will make that decision - a very safe decision, a very engineered decision, not only by one engineering firm but two engineering firms and two international experts who are reviewing the repairs as well as the forensic analysis that is being done – and make the decision at that time to open the bridge on June 11.”

A TEMPORARY FIX

On Sunday afternoon, two crossover lanes were opened by SCDOT crews to ease congestion and create a two-way traffic pattern in the eastbound lanes over the bridge. After Monday morning’s rush hour, Hall reported the fix was working “as expected” and that traffic was moving steadily through the area.

“We’re working very closely together as a team,” stated Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds, who sent a letter to Daniel Island residents on Saturday detailing progress. “Everybody is pulling in the same direction…Safety is the most important thing.”

Also still available to motorists are two detour options – one via Highway 17 North to Highway 41 and Clements Ferry Road, and another via Highway 17 South over the Ravenel Bridge to I-26 to I-526.

“Choose wisely,” noted SCDOT traffic engineer Rob Perry. “We’re going to help you make that choice.”

Perry encouraged citizens to download the SCDOT “511” app for their phones to access live traffic camera feeds in impacted areas as well as estimated travel times for each route.

According to Travis Manley of the S.C. Highway Patrol, who also spoke at the press conference, an additional 26 state troopers have been assigned to the I-526 reverted lanes to make sure citizens “have a safe work zone and a safe area to travel.” Those officers will support a mass of other assets on the ground, including 10 S.C. Department of Natural Resources agents and 10 S.L.E.D. agents.

“Overall, traffic is still extremely heavy,” said Manley. “But the main thing is it’s moving. We’ve seen an improvement every morning. We’ve seen an improvement every afternoon.”

HOW SAFE IS THE WANDO BRIDGE?

While encouraged by traffic improvements, some local leaders still have questions about the bridge’s overall safety. Rep. Nancy Mace of Daniel Island fired off a letter to SCDOT Secretary Hall two days after the closure (to view the complete letter, visit www.thedanielislandnews.com/opinions/letter-rep-nancy-mace-scdot-secreta...).

Among her queries – When was SCDOT first made aware of any cable or tendon problems? How many of the bridge’s 92 cables are being monitored? How much money has been spent on repairs thus far?

Mace met with Hall on Friday to discuss her concerns.

“Some of them have been answered,” said Mace, who represents House District 99. “The majority have not. The more I learn, the more questions I have…At the end of the day, I want to get to the bottom of this. I want to know what the SCDOT knew and when they knew it.”

While Mace is appreciative of how quickly information has been communicated this past week with regards to closure announcements and plans, she would like to see much more transparency.

“From my perspective overall, the situation that we’re in right now is unacceptable,” she said. “This should not have happened…The public safety is of utmost concern so I want to be sure that everyone is taking their time to make this repair the right way and not rush it. I don’t want this bridge to be reopened and then we have this problem all over again…Because when this bridge was closed, it essentially shut down the entire city. Businesses are suffering. Families are suffering. People can’t get to work on time or school on time and so it affects people on a whole host of levels.”

Sen. Larry Grooms, who also represents Daniel Island and other areas impacted by the bridge closure, is currently chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. He questioned the structure’s long term safety and said it’s not too soon to begin talking about funding a replacement as part of the I-526 corridor expansion project.

“I’ve got confidence in the SCDOT’s ability to repair the bridge and reopen it,” he said, while commending the state agency for working at “lightning speed” to deal with the current situation. “…I want to allow the DOT evaluation team, their engineers, their contract engineers, to continue their assessment and later this summer and early fall we’re gonna have some hearings on the bridge. Because I want to have confidence, and I want the people I represent to have confidence, in the long term viability of that bridge.”

In the press conference last week, Secretary Hall addressed the safety of all bridges in the area.

“The bridges in the area are safe,” she stated. “If there is an unsafe bridge, we will close that bridge. What I’m reading, hearing and experiencing, some of the controversy that is swirling around…I just want to assure the motoring public and the citizens of our state that those bridges are safe bridges. So don’t panic and don’t worry. The bridges are not going to collapse. They are safe. And we take that responsibility very seriously.”

“I think it’s too soon to make that judgement,” said Grooms, referring to the Wando River Bridge’s structural health. “The bridge is closed for the next three and a half weeks for a temporary repair. And the engineer team is still unable to definitively say why the cable failed…If the DOT engineers can’t tell me right now how the cable broke, I don’t know how they can say with a high degree of confidence that this bridge will last an additional 50 years or maybe even beyond.”

In the meantime, SCDOT officials are continuing to ask the public to remain patient as the investigation into the problem continues and corrective measures are implemented.

“We are going to ensure that the motoring public is safe,” added SCDOT Commissioner Robby Robbins. “I urge you to please be patient. We need your help. This is a team effort and the public is a vital part of that team…Let’s get through this…Give us time to analyze what has taken place and make the necessary repairs.”

“People are dealing with the frustration,” added Grooms, referencing the region’s relative patience with the traffic congestion caused by the closure. “Two weeks from now it might be a different story.”

For the most up to date information on the bridge closure, visit http://www.scdot.org/travel/travel-wando-closure.aspx.