| Dawhoo River Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Official name | McKinley Washington, Jr. Bridge |
| Carries | SC 174 |
| Crosses | Dawhoo River |
| Locale | Edisto Island, South Carolina |
| Maintained by | SCDOT |
| ID number | 001040017400400 |
| Design | Steel girder |
| Total length | 1,702 meters (5,584 ft) |
| Width | 16.4 meters (54 ft) |
| Number of spans | 97 |
| Clearance below | 20.7 meters (68 ft) |
| Daily traffic | 4500 |
The McKinley Washington, Jr. Bridge, or the Dawhoo River Bridge, connects Edisto Island on the coast of South Carolina to the mainland. The bridge is named for McKinley Washington, Jr. who served in the South Carolina General Assembly, representing the area and leading the effort to appropriate funds to replace the bridge.[1][2]
This is the third bridge in the same location, replacing a swing bridge that caused traffic delays when it opened for boats.
The first bridge opened in 1920 and was a single lane swing span which was opened manually by the bridge tender.[3] Funds to build the bridge came from $6,000 in bonds sold by the Township Commissioners for Edisto Island. The sale of bonds being authorized by the General Assembly.[4]
The second bridge opened in 1950. It was a two-lane electrically powered swing span.[5] When closed, it only provided for eight feet of clearance below the bridge for boat traffic.[6]
The current bridge was dedicated on September 25, 1993.[7]