Let bridge closing drive smarter regional transportation planning
The closing of a portion of the James B. Edwards Bridge should serve as a reckoning for the motoring public — that is to say, nearly everyone — in the Lowcountry.
While the bridge was closed, traffic lines stretched east and west along I-526 as state Department of Transportation crews worked feverishly to restore a snapped cable inside the bridge’s westbound span. For the past few weeks, drivers have been forced to devise modified commuting strategies that range from picking back roads to selecting a different time to come into the office.
Maybe, however, this was the push the region needed to begin collectively thinking outside of the one-person-on-four-wheels box. We live in a place, after all, where 90 percent of commuters drive to work alone.
