Richard V. Woods Memorial Swing Bridge - Beaufort, SC
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 32° 25.812 W 080° 40.189
17S E 531041 N 3588169
Swing Through Truss Bridge dedicated to a State Highway Patrolman
Waymark Code: WMT7N7
Location: South Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2016
Views: 0
County of bridge: Beaufort County
Location of bridge: US 21 Bus & Beaufort River, Beaufort
Built: 1959
"The Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge, (known locally as the Woods Bridge) is a swing bridge that connects downtown Beaufort with Lady's Island and the outer Sea Islands in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The bridge is named in memory of Richard V. Woods (1935–1969), who was a South Carolina Highway Patrol officer killed in the line of duty and was opened on December 17, 1959, having replaced an earlier swing-bridge that was built 1927.
"The bridge swings on its central axis to open for boat traffic which is too tall to clear the bridge, and has an operator's station in the center of the span from which an attendant can operate the bridge. Due to the presence of the Intracoastal Waterway, the bridge is required to frequently open for boat traffic to pass through." ~ Wikipedia
Memorial stone text:
RICHARD V. WOODS
MEMORIAL BRIDGE
Dedicated in 1971 to the Memory of
State Highway Patrolman R. V. Woods
(1935 - 1969)
and all other South Carolina
Law Enforcement Officers
Who Died while serving in the Line of Duty.
"Beaufort has so many things that make it a very unique spot in our little corner of the country. Beaufort is surrounded by water, but there was no bridge to Lady’s Island for the longest time. Water transportation had been the norm ever since the first settlers had arrived in the area. On July 7th, 1927 all of that changed and the Lady’s Island Bridge opened, spanning the Beaufort River and providing the first land access from Beaufort to Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island and our beaches.
"A new bridge was constructed to replace the old wooden Lady’s Island Bridge in 1959, and then in 1971, was renamed the Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge. Dedicated to State Highway Patrolman Richard V. Woods, who was killed in the line of duty, the bridge is inscribed with the following: “Dedicated in 1971 to the memory of State Highway Patrolman R.V. Woods (1935-1969) and all other South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers who died while serving in the line of duty.”
"The Woods Memorial Bridge is a unique swing bridge, and is one of only nine moveable bridges still in use in the entire State of South Carolina. It certainly is one of the most photographed of all of Beaufort’s landmarks" ~ EatSleepPlay Beaufort