Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge

Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge
Coordinates	34°4′12.2″N 82°38′32.4″W
Carries	SR 72 and SC 72
Crosses	Savannah River
Locale	Elberton, Georgia
Official name	Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge
ID number	BH 46435
Characteristics
Design	Reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch
Total length	1,581 ft (482 m)
Width	18 ft (5.5 m)
Longest span	11 spans, each 125 ft (38 m) long
Clearance below	50 ft (15 m)
History
Opened	November 11, 1927 (November 11, 1927)
Closed	1981 (1981)
Location

The Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge was a highway crossing over the Savannah River between the states of Georgia and South Carolina that was in service from 1927 to 1981. The completion of this bridge marked the beginning of the end for Savannah River ferry traffic.

History

In November 1921, the Calhoun Highway Association requested the Georgia State Highway Department to conduct surveys of the Savannah River near Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, to determine a site for a bridge. In March 1925, R. E. Toms, District 8 Engineer of Georgia, approved the Burton's Ferry site just above the homestead of James Edward Calhoun, a son of John C. Calhoun, at Millwood, South Carolina, estimated to cost at around $200,000 (equivalent to $2.77 million in 2023).

The federal government committed $100,000 (equivalent to $1.38 million in 2023) with the states of Georgia and South Carolina each committing the same amount. Elbert County, Georgia, and Abbeville County, South Carolina, each would contribute $25,000 (equivalent to $346,178 in 2023) to their state's obligation.

In April 1925, Abbeville County voted for a $25,000 bridge bond, and in August, Elbert County matched the sum. In June 1925, Elbert County Commissioners were assured by the State Highway Board that the Calhoun Highway would be funded from Johnsontown, Georgia, to the bridge site on the Savannah River at Burton's Ferry. In August 1925, Searcy B. Slack offered two plans for the crossing, a steel deck truss bridge and a reinforced concrete arch bridge.

In February 1926, Emmett M. Williams of Monroe, Georgia, secured the lowest bid for the concrete arch bridge at $213,992 (equivalent to $2.95 million in 2023). An unnamed bridge company from Greensboro, North Carolina, was the low bidder for the steel deck truss bridge. Despite the higher cost, Abbeville County insisted on the concrete arch design. Ground was broken March 23, 1926, by James Y. Swift of Elberton.

Design and construction

The bridge was an eleven-span concrete arch design, with the symmetrical arches of two ribs and open spandrels. The approach girders were 48 feet (15 m) long and the bridge had a vertical clearance of 50 feet (15 m) above the river surface. The spans were 125 feet (38 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. Two memorial tablets, bolted to the banisters, were later removed. At the time of its construction, it was one of the largest reinforced concrete bridges in the southeastern United States.

Dedication

The American Legion posts in both counties suggested that the bridge be a memorial to American soldiers who lost their lives in the Great War, and by September 1927, the span was being referred to as the Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge. The crossing was officially opened at a large dedication ceremony on Armistice Day 1927. Miss Ida Calhoun, lineal descendant of John C. Calhoun, broke a bottle of ginger ale over the concrete banister at the center of the bridge.

Replacement

The bridge was replaced by a new crossing in 1981.

See also

• List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Georgia (U.S. state)
• List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in South Carolina

External links

• Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. GA-38, "Georgia–Carolina Memorial Bridge, State Highway 72, Elberton, Elbert County, GA", 11 photos, 3 data pages, 1 photo caption page