It was so hot on Monday that the steel in the Ben Sawyer Bridge, the swing bridge that connects Sullivan’s Island and Mt. Pleasant, expanded enough that the bridge got stuck in the open position. Charleston saw record-breaking Memorial Day temperatures, soaring to 100 degrees according to Accuweather.
Usually the bridge opens by request and on the hour from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends and federal holidays. But at around 5:30 p.m., after baking in the sun all day, the steel in the bridge expanded so much that the swing span was stuck partially open. It took hours for the bridge to reopen, snarling Memorial Day beachgoers in traffic as they tried to venture home. At 9:23 p.m., Mt. Pleasant Police tweeted that the bridge was back open for vehicle traffic. As of writing, it remains closed to maritime traffic.
S.C. Department of Transportation tweeted that the this problem hasn’t recently happened on the Ben Sawyer: “However, this issue has occurred on other steel bridges.”
The situation is so baffling that SCDOT tossed out the idea of just using a fire truck to spray it and cool it down.
The heatwave on Monday broke the records for daily temperature, earliest 100 degree day, and hottest Memorial Day according to @chswx. [embed-1]
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