J.E. McTeer Bridge

Submitted by admin on Sat, 2010-01-16 16:22

The J.E. McTeer Bridge is one of two bridges connecting Lady's Island to Port Royal Island. The 2,200-foot bridge spans the Beaufort River. It is named for the longtime former sheriff of Beaufort County. Before its opening in February 1981, the only other connection between Lady's and Port Royal islands was the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, which connects near downtown Beaufort along U.S. 21.

Construction

Some downtown merchants feared the new, $6.5 million span would draw customers away from downtown businesses and into Port Royal. It proved not to be the case, with downtown maintaining its quaint atmosphere and Port Royal supplying more commercial needs.

2007 barge accident

On April 26, 2007, the McTeer Bridge was struck by a barge that did not lower its crane enough to pass underneath. The resulting damage forced the bridge to close entirely or partially for about two months. Bridge repair work was conducted by by Great Falls-based United Contractors. Among the chores was Replacing the bridge's five steel support beams, which was done in less than half the projected 10-week time frame. The contract for repairs didn't include any incentives for finishing early -- or penalties for finishing late. United Contractors accepted the contract at actual cost, reasonable overhead and 15 percent profit margin.

The bridge's closing sent ripples through traffic patterns all around Beaufort. In the days following the accident, it took motorists hours just to get off Lady's Island, and jams were present on Ribaut, S.C. 170 and Boundary Street as vehicles were routed over the Woods Bridge. Traffic also was re-routed through downtown Beaufort, with several two-way streets closed to traffic during certain hours or converted to one-way streets. It took several days for officials to figure out efficient traffic patterns, and the situation was relieved a bit in early June when the McTeer Bridge was opened to some one-way traffic during certain peak hours.

DOT billed Savannah Marine Services, the company that owns the tug boat towing the barge and that employed three mariners who face charges against their licenses in the April 26 incident, for the repairs. The Coast Guard's investigation into the incident found that Capt. Wright Gres, the operator of Sara Kaitlin at the time of the accident, "did not take due care to ensure that the boom could safely pass beneath the bridge, operated beyond the scope of his license and failed to immediately report the collision, as required by Coast Guard regulations." His license was revoked for six months. In addition to the suspension of Gres' license, the Coast Guard has recommended that Savannah Marine Services be fined up to $75,000 for:

  • Negligent operations of Sara Kaitlin
  • Employing an individual to operate beyond the scope of his Coast Guard issued license -- Gres was operating with an apprentice steersman license, according to authorities, a tier under the mate license he needed to be able to be on the tug's deck by himself
  • Operating on a voyage of greater then 24 hours with only one properly credentialed mariner

In April 2009, the state and the county reached an agreement that reimbursed the county $23,000 and gave the state $1.03 million for the repairs. The state handled the litigation for the county, to spare it legal expenses. They had asked for $1.3 million.

Northern bypass talks rekindled

The accident revived talk of a northern bypass, a third link between Lady's Island and Port Royal Island. Since 1997, about two-thirds of all residential development north of the Broad River has taken place in the Lady's Island planning area, according to the Lady's Island Business and Professional Association, and since 2000, the island has added more than 3,300 residents. With an estimated 12,647 people calling it home as of 2007, Lady's Island was virtually the same size as the city of Beaufort, which had 12,950 people as of the 2000 census. Fears about hurricane evacuations and the vulnerability of the Woods Bridge helped rekindle the talk.

Bridge expansion

Plans are in the work to widen S.C. 802, or Lady's Island Drive; and construction of a new bridge on the same road that would run parallel to the J.E. McTeer bridge in northern Beaufort County. In 2006, county voters approved of a referendum measure to fund new road projects with a 1-cent sales tax increase, but project costs increased and the county faced a revenue shortfall. It was hoped that money from the 2009 federal stimulus package might be used to complete this and other projects.