• HOME
  • BEST OF PARTY PHOTOS
  • FEATURES
    • Best Of Cover Shoot
    • Pet Owner’s Stories
    • People
    • Places
    • Issues
    • Remembering
    • Things
    • To Do
  • DEPARTMENTS
    • Finance / Real Estate
      • Financial Articles
      • Real Estate
        • Real Estate Experts
        • Top 10 Most Expensive Homes Sold
        • Articles
    • Around Town
    • Business
      • Belle Hall Shopping Center
      • Lowcountry Women in Business
      • MP Business
    • Dwellings
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion & Beauty
    • Food & Drink
    • Giving Back
    • Health & Wellness
    • Love & Marriage
    • Pets
    • Relax & Retire
    • Sports & Fitness
  • Read Magazine
  • MORE MAGS
    • Charleston Women 👩‍🏫🏢
    • Lowcountry Cuisine 🧀🍷
    • Best of Mt Pleasant Mag 🏆🏆
    • MP Business Mag 🏢
    • MP Pets 🐶🐱
    • Charleston Independent School Directory 🏫
    • MP Senior Living 👴👵
    • More Mags
      • IOP Mag
      • SI Mag
      • MP Town Hall Magazine
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Attorney Directory
    • 2025 Charleston Wedding Venues
    • Pool Builders/Services Directory
    • Financial Planners
    • Mount Pleasant Area Hotel Directory
    • East Cooper Worship Guide
    • East Cooper Fitness Directory
    • Senior Living Directory
    • 2023 Local CPA Tax Directory
    • Mount Pleasant Apartment Directory
  • SUBSCRIBE

Mount Pleasant Magazine

Mount Pleasant Magazine is the premier lifestyle magazine for Mount Pleasant, SC. Read about local news, events, businesses, people, and more. Subscribe today or read our digital magazine online.

  • Best of Mount Pleasant
    • 2025 Best of Mount Pleasant Including Previous Years
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Winner Articles
    • Best Of Party Photos
  • Podcasts
    • Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Carolina Real Estate Podcast
    • Georgetown the Podcast
    • Coastal Home Podcast Video Tour
    • Best of Mount Pleasant Podcast
    • Hammock Coast Podcast
    • More Podcasts
      • Charleston Women Podcast
      • Isle of Palms Podcast
      • Charleston Pet Podcast
      • Charleston Wedding Podcast
  • Top Ten Homes Sold
  • Advertise
    • Advertise With Us
    • Media Kit
    • Video Testimonials
  • About Our Team
  • MORE
    • Real Estate Experts
    • MP Town Hall
    • Attorney Directory
    • News
    • MP Neighborhoods
    • East Cooper Online Network
    • Contact

James B. Edwards Bridge: Negate the Wait

Posted by MPM Leave a Comment

Wando River's James B. Edwards Bridge 2018

Making the Best of a Traffic Nightmare

When a broken support cable forced the state Department of Transportation to close the westbound lanes of the James B. Edwards Bridge over the Wando River on May 14, the most obvious result was increasingly slow and unpleasantly heavy traffic leaving, entering and traveling in Mount Pleasant.

Though cars and trucks were moving at an excruciatingly slow pace along Interstate 526, across the Ravenel Bridge and on Highway 41, Mount Pleasant officials were more concerned about two other issues: safety and the losses local businesses were taking. The town’s response was to try to have as much fun as possible with a situation that rarely brings smiles to the face of drivers trying to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time.

As part of Mount Pleasant’s “Negate the Wait” campaign, Mayor Will Haynie and others appeared on local television and radio stations, as well as in videos on the town’s website and Facebook page, encouraging people to pass the time they were spending in traffic by supporting local businesses.

“We wanted to do something to help our businesses while people were dealing with the wait,” said Haynie. “It was a morale booster. We were having fun.”

“If business gets behind, the effects of the bridge closing will be more far-reaching,” he added

The westbound lanes of the bridge re-opened June 2, nine days sooner than originally estimated, after nearly two weeks of one-lane-each-way traffic on the eastbound side. Though the bridge handles more than 70,000 cars on a typical weekday, Haney pointed out that he would have been good with the fix taking longer if more time were necessary to make sure it was safe to cross.

“We wanted the state and the federal government to assure us and our citizens of the trustworthiness of that bridge,” Haynie said. “Public safety comes first. Convenience comes second.”

Haynie said the DOT would reimburse the town for all its expenses while the bridge was closed and partially open, probably somewhere between $180,000 and $200,000. He pointed out that 72 officers from the Highway Patrol and other state agencies were on duty at the bridge 24 hours a day. He said most of them left after the westbound lanes were opened.

“A component of the state personnel stayed to make sure the transition back to normal flow went smoothly, but most have gone back to their regular duties,” Haynie said June 4. “We kept an increased Mount Pleasant police presence at the bridge this morning just to make sure.”

While parts of the bridge were shut down, four huge wreckers were parked near the road and ready to go in case an accident temporarily halted traffic. Haynie said the wreckers, large enough to pull a loaded container truck headed toward or away from the Ports Authority’s Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant, cost the state $150 per hour each, for a total of $14,400 a day.

While state officers were taking care of the bridge, Mount Pleasant policemen were doing everything possible to keep traffic moving on Highway 17 and Coleman Boulevard by manipulating the stoplights.

“Mount Pleasant showed what a good team we have,” Haynie commented.

By Brian Sherman

Sharing is Caring

Possibly Related:

No related posts.

Filed Under: Issues

Advertisement

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search The Site

We're on Facebook We're on X (formerly Twitter) Mount Pleasant Magazine Youtube Channel We're on Pinterest Mount Pleasant Magazine Facebook Community We're on Instagram
Ad: South Carolina Federal Credit Union, enjoy life banking on the best.
Ad: Visit Woof Gang today!
Mount Pleasant Magazine Sep/Oct 2023 magazine coverREAD DIGITALLY
Read the digital magazine
now.
GRAB A COPY
Where can I pick up a copy of Mount Pleasant Magazine?
SUBSCRIBE
Get Mount Pleasant Magazine Delivered.
Ad: Premier Health and Wellness in Mount Pleasant, SC. Let’s Redesign Your Health & Wellness.
Read about the History of the Bridge Run
Visit Palmetto Christian Academy.org
Ad: 1st Choice AC, Heating, Plumbing and Gas, for the best AC Service for your home in Mount Pleasant, SC.
Pleasant Family Dentistry in Mount Pleasant, SC. Experience the BEST, and find out why we've been awarded 7 times in the BEST of MOUNT PLEASANT!
Ad: Visit Front Beach IOP and SHOP, DINE and DRINK in the SUNSHINE.
Ad: Get Carried Away - Real Food, Real Southern, Really Good!
Click for Stores & Services
on Coleman Boulevard
Coleman Blvd Merchant Alliance
Best of Mount Pleasant logo is a registered trademark
Ad: Every Day is a Good Dog Day at Michael's Barkery

Most Recent Posts

Georgetown, SC Rising: A Look at the City’s Dramatic Growth & Downtown Revival

Join host Scott Richards and Main Street Director Al Joseph for an insightful look into the remarkable transformation sweeping across Georgetown, SC. This video dives deep into the revitalization of … Continue Reading

The Rotary’s Biggest Splash: 2025 Charleston Duck Race in the Wando!

The Charleston Duck Race is back on the Wando River! Tune in as Evan Murray, the 'Head Duck' Fundraising Chair, joins host Brian Cleary to reveal all the details about this highly anticipated … Continue Reading

Paved with Passion: Morales Pavers

Morales Pavers started with a simple mission: to transform outdoor spaces and convert them into something people could truly enjoy. But what makes this family-owned business stand out isn’t just the … Continue Reading

Front Street Georgetown

Opening Batch: Georgetown Crafts First Brewery

A craft beer fan and teacher from Cincinnati, Chase Runyan started brewing in his house by tinkering with kits and learning how to bottle the beer after fermentation. After making five or six batches … Continue Reading

Revolutionized: Georgetown’s Downtown Makeover

When the port city of Georgetown was laid out in 1729, merchant-oriented businesses and homes lined the land side of Front Street, originally called Bay Street, overlooking the sparkling Sampit River, … Continue Reading

Gold Standard: Georgetown’s Own Crowned Olympic Champion

When 23-year-old Nike athlete and Georgetown native Melissa Jefferson arrived at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June, she was determined to secure her … Continue Reading

More Front Street Georgetown

SEARCH

Get Our Free Newsletter!
Mount Pleasant Apartments
Pleasant Family Dentistry
Water's Edge Dentistry
34 Waterway Island Drive

Copyright © 2025 · Mount Pleasant Magazine, All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy

▲