Sidney Lanier Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sidney Lanier Bridge |
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The bridge in 2020
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| Coordinates | 31°6′59″N 81°29′5″W / 31.11639°N 81.48472°W |
| Carries |  US 17 |
| Crosses | Brunswick River |
| Locale | Brunswick, Georgia, United States |
| Named for | Sidney Lanier |
| Owner | Georgia Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Cable-stayed bridge |
| Material | Concrete |
| Number of spans | 3 |
| History | |
| Designer | Sverdrup & Parcel and J. E. Greiner Associates (first bridge) DRC Consultants (second bridge) |
| Constructed by | Finley McNary, Recchi America, and GLF Construction Corporation (second bridge) |
| Construction cost | $8 million (first bridge) |
The Sidney Lanier Bridge is a huge cable-stayed bridge that crosses the Brunswick River in Brunswick, Georgia, United States. It's named after Sidney Lanier, a famous poet from Georgia. This bridge is part of U.S. Route 17 in Georgia.
Before the current bridge, there was an older bridge in the same spot. That first bridge was a vertical-lift bridge, meaning a part of it could move up to let ships pass. However, it caused problems because it was hard for large ships to get through safely. There were even two serious ship collisions. One accident in 1972 tragically caused ten deaths. Also, by the late 1990s, the bridge was too low for the biggest cargo ships to reach the Port of Brunswick.
Because of these issues, a brand new bridge was built. Construction started in 1998 and it opened in 2003. This new Sidney Lanier Bridge is much safer and taller. It allows bigger ships to easily reach the port. When it first opened, it was one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the United States and Canada.
Contents
How the Bridge Was Built
The First Bridge
The first Sidney Lanier Bridge was a four-lane road for U.S. Route 17. It stretched about 1 mile (1.6 km) over the Brunswick River. This bridge was a special type called a vertical-lift bridge. This meant its middle section could be lifted up and down. When raised, it allowed ships to pass underneath to reach the Port of Brunswick.
When the bridge was lowered, it only had about 24 feet (7.3 meters) of space for ships. When it was lifted, ships had about 139 feet (42.4 meters) of space. Only the middle part of the bridge moved, while the sections leading up to it stayed still.
The Current Bridge
The current Sidney Lanier Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge. This design uses strong cables to hold up the main part of the bridge. Its longest section, called the central span, is 1,250 feet (381 meters) long. It also has two side spans, each 625 feet (191 meters) long.
Like the old bridge, it has four lanes for cars. Each lane is 12 feet (3.7 meters) wide, and there's an 8-foot (2.4-meter) wide shoulder on each side. The road surface, made of concrete, is about 11 inches (280 mm) thick.
The most noticeable parts of the bridge are its two tall, H-shaped concrete towers, called pylons. Each pylon stands 486 feet (148 meters) high. From each side of these pylons, 44 strong cables stretch down to support the bridge deck. In total, there are 176 cables. Each cable is made of many smaller strands, all protected inside a tough plastic casing. The pylons are hollow, which allows workers to go inside and check the cables.
The bridge also has special safety features. There are artificial islands built around the base of the pylons. These islands are designed to protect the bridge from being hit by ships.
History of the Sidney Lanier Bridge
Building the First Bridge
In 1947, the state of Georgia bought Jekyll Island to turn it into a state park. The governor at the time, Melvin E. Thompson, wanted more tourists to visit the island. He thought building a bridge across the Brunswick River would help. This bridge would make the trip between Brunswick and Jekyll Island 14 miles (23 km) shorter.
Construction started while Thompson was governor. However, he lost the next election to Herman Talmadge, who didn't like the idea of the bridge. Even though Talmadge wasn't a fan, work on the bridge continued under his leadership and the next governor, Marvin Griffin.
The State Toll Bridge Authority was in charge of building the bridge. It was designed by Sverdrup & Parcel and J. E. Greiner Associates. The first bridge was finished in 1956 and cost $8 million. At the same time, a road connecting Jekyll Island to the mainland was also built. The bridge was a toll bridge, meaning drivers had to pay to cross it.
Naming and Opening
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In 1956, the bridge was named after Sidney Lanier. He was a poet born in Georgia in the 1800s. One of his famous poems, "The Marshes of Glynn", was about the beautiful salt marshes in Glynn County, where the bridge is located.
The bridge officially opened to traffic in 1956. Governor Griffin led the dedication ceremony on July 18 of that year. The bridge was even recognized as one of the most beautiful new bridges in the United States by the American Institute of Steel Construction.
Problems with the First Bridge
The design of the first lift bridge made it difficult for ships to pass safely. This led to several ship collisions. In 1972, a large cargo ship called the SS African Neptune hit the bridge. Parts of the bridge fell into the river, and ten people died.
Years later, in 1987, another ship, the Ziemia Bialostocka, also collided with the bridge. Luckily, no one was hurt that time, but it caused about $1.4 million in damage. Besides the collisions, by the 1990s, the bridge was too low for many modern, larger ships to reach the Port of Brunswick. Also, with about 20 ships passing through daily, the bridge often had to lift, causing traffic delays for cars.
The New Bridge (2003)
By 1998, work began on a replacement bridge. This new bridge was designed to solve all the problems of the old one. It would be taller and have better safety features. The goal was to make road travel smoother and allow much larger ships to use the port.
The new bridge was designed by DRC Consultants. It was built by Recchi America and GLF Construction Corporation, with help from Finley McNary. Figg Engineering Group also helped with inspections. The new cable-stayed bridge opened in 2003.
When it opened, the Sidney Lanier Bridge had the third-longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in the United States and Canada. Only the Dames Point Bridge in Florida and the Fred Hartman Bridge in Texas were longer. The Georgia Department of Transportation now owns and operates this impressive bridge.
