Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge

Beautiful iconic bridge … whether you’re watching it from a distance under a setting sun, gliding over it with the traffic, walking /​biking /​running across it to cross it off your bucket list, or just plain like bridges, this is a beauty … I had the «pleasure» of driving over the previous bridge, and was pretty sure I wasn’t going to survive the experience towards the end of its life, and when the ARJB came along, it was like a piece of Charleston was added that we never knew was missing.

Excellent bridge from afar and not too shabby to cross in a vehicle either.

I wanted to see this myself but knew my husband would absolutely love it. We wanted to pull off before we went over it to get a good picture, but ended up having to drive over it. So glad we did! The views of the bridge while on the bridge (both of the bridge itself and the water) were beautiful! We ended up pulling over at what I believe is a condo building right as you go over the bridge on the right on Sullivans Island. We ended up getting a great view of the bridge from there as well. Loved this site! Great quick stop while in Charleston!

How does a hamster write mysteries?
He gets the ending first then he writes backwards!
So let’s start at the very end. I wound up on the other side of this bridge, drunk, flat on my back with my 30-​pound camera backpack strapped underneath me like a gigantic body pillow.
Then I heard the cop say «Get up!»
«Huh?» I replied
«Get. Up. Now!»
«Urrggghhhhh»
“You obviously aren’t from around here, where are you from?”
«Straya!»
“Ok where are you staying?”
«Days Inn … But I have no idea where that is from here»
«Come on buddy do me a favour and sit up»
I managed at this point to sit up… and stared directly at the blazing Days Inn sign across the street. I smiled, and said, «actually I found it»
He laughed and helped me to my feet. Once across the road, he made me produce the card key, and once I managed to get the door to open he shoved me inside, and said «Good night, sleep it off!»
Rewind 24 hours and I was walking across that bridge at 4am camera in hand taking photos, and cursing that I ever brought my camera overseas (the weight is phenomenal). I kept walking across the bridge and all the way to breakfast, the expanse is massive as you can see…
For photographers the best shots are:
— on the bridge close-​in at just-​on-​dawn.
— far away, once off the bridge as the sun rises.

A really magnificent bridge with an even more stunning view.

This review is related to my review for the Cooper River Bridge Pedestrian & Bike Path
(
) but this one is specifically for the bridge as a way to cross the Cooper River in car or truck (rather than for the running/​biking path).
While your experience crossing the bridge will be much shorter – as you’ll be moving with the flow of traffic instead of walking, biking, or running across – you will still feel marvel and wonder as you go across. Or maybe you won’t. I always get really excited about going over bridges with water all around, but perhaps I am more like a sheltered child than you are.
If you are unsure you want to take the 2.5-mile hike across the bridge on the aforementioned pedestrian/​bike path, drive across a time or two to get a sense of whether or not you would benefit from checking out the bridge at a slower pace and in a more up-​close-​and-​personal vantage point. If the weather is comfortable, I sense that you’ll want to find a place to park the car and get out and explore on foot.

Awesome! Absolutely stunning bridge. It is beautiful, picturesque, and according to it’s history, it came in under the projected cost. I can’t wait to go back to Charleston, and this time I am going to walk over the bridge.

This a must see attraction when you visit Charleston. We used it several times a day and it just got better and better! You can even walk the bridge. Many people walk or jog the bridge, as there is plenty of space on the path. I believe the bridge is ~2.5 miles so plan your exercise accordingly.

Best place to walk, ride or bike but PLEASE stay out of the bike path if you are walking or running and if you are walking with multiple people don’t spread uo and force others to go around you in the bike lane. It’s a safety thing not to mention polite!

A beautiful bridge that you must walk across with stunning views.

This is the most stunning bridge I have ever experienced! Yes, I have been to London, Paris & San Francisco. Ask someone else to drive when you go & ride shotgun. Take lots of pictures!

This is such a pretty bridge to go across, and there’s no toll! Haha. You can drive or walk across it. What a great thing to do when the weather’s great!

This is indeed a pretty amazing bridge. Even more so if you remember the old bridge. or the really old bridge. Riding over that baby would require hours on the beach just to calm your nerves. Even more so if there was a wreck, and it’s impossible to determine what was needed if you were in it (or if your car stalled, or even started to think about stalling).
This bridge, however, is impressive indeed, rising majestically over the Cooper River. Now those who say that the old should not be torn down to make way for the new may often have a point — but in the case of the old Grace and Pearman bridges, replacing them with this beauty was definitely a good idea.

This is a crown jewel of Charleston Harbor. Wonderful place for a walk while admiring the Charleston cityscape and Ft Sumter.

Why review a bridge? Look, I’ll tell you why. This bridge makes me smile. Do you smile when you run? I bet if you ran over the Ravenel bridge you would.
This is my favorite running inclusion in Charleston! Whether I start a run here, include it in the later miles, or finish at one end, I just can’t get enough.
On a cool day it might be a little windy. On a warm day it might be overly crowded to the point you find yourself jumping over pedestrians that forget they might need to share the walkway. This bridge is a great route for cyclists as well, just try to stay out of their lane or they will run you over without remorse.
Parking is also very convenient for those of you looking to park-​and-​go. You can pay the inexpensive meter underneath on the Mount Pleasant side, or just mosey a mile down the road to one the CofC baseball stadium parking lots.

A fun run. On foot from the Charleston-​side downtown area (such as the corner of East Bay and Market Streets) to the first tower on the bridge is approximately 6 miles round trip… flat through town, steep incline up the bridge and nice easy run back down. My favorite route in Charleston. And home of the well known and popular Cooper River Bridge Run.

An icon that was a long time coming! This is a marvel of modern engineering connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant at the mouth of the Cooper River. Eight traffic lanes wide, with pedestrian access that is safely separated from travel lanes via a concrete barrier, this bridge is smooth to drive on and well lit in the evenings. At about 4 km long, you’ll have a long enough ride to appreciate some of the design features of this massive structure. But for a longer look, don’t miss the annual Cooper River Bridge Run, held in the spring of each year. It’s more of a social event than a competitive run, but there’s something special about running the bridge into downtown with about 40,000 other people. This bridge just secures the experience for years to come.

This is an absolutely stunning bridge that gives Charleston Harbor a a real diamond in its crown. Or two diamonds, since that is what the two towers look like.
The bridge is really easy to drive over with eight lanes (four in each direction) as well as a pedestrian and bicycle lane.
You can see the bridge for miles and when you’re on the bridge you can also see for miles. Fantastic views of Downtown and the harbor.
Underneath the bridge, towards the entrance to Patriot’s Point, there is a small parking area with a pier that goes out into the harbor. Great view of the bridge from there too!

300^th Review!!! Why a bridge you may ask? Because I love to run, and this is the most runner friendly bridge I have ever seen or run across.
Replacing the old and condemned bridges that used to connect the islands with Charleston, this bridge climbs to a great height over the harbor with beautiful suspension cables and towers. The views are of down town, the harbor, Ft. Sumter, The USS York Town, and the intercostal.
On one side of the bridge there exists a very wide running and biking trail that is over five miles round trip from end to end. In the morning hours there are walkers, bikers and runners galore, but the path is wide enough to accommodate everyone with out incident. Around the giant towers the path juts out from the bridge and offers a nice stopping point for pictures, or just to enjoy the above mentioned views. Traffic is well distanced from the path, and I can not imagine an moment where traffic could ever physically interfere with a run, and I even forgot that there were cars next to me through the run.
On the Mt. Pleasant side of the bridge there is a gas station with two hour bridge parking and Patriots Point is right there on the same end of the bridge, thus, plenty more parking, and even an extension of the run. There is something to be said for starting this adventure at the York Town, running to the other side, and then viewing the same ship in the distance as you return.
Sure, it is a bridge, but it is the most enjoyable non-​race run I have ever taken.