New North Charleston pedestrian bridge connects Riverfront Park

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – After two years of construction, the Noisette Creek Pedestrian Bridge is now complete, and Wednesday, a ceremony was held to officially open the bridge.

Connecting the past to the present.

“We had a golf course that was on both sides when the Navy was here and we took that away to make a park for the public,” North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said. “This is an extension of that park on this side of the river, but we had no way to access it unless you went out on the road.”

In 2020, North Charleston leadership wanted to build a bridge that connects Riverfront Park with the north side of Noisette Creek, but not just any bridge.

“We came up with the idea let’s build a bridge that’s unlike any other bridge in the word,” Summey said.

Two years later, that’s exactly what they’ve done.

“This bridge has been ranked the number six bridge in the world for pedestrian walking,” Summey said, “and that’s quite an accomplishment, so we’re proud to be able to have that.”

The 230-foot bridge that has two 55-foot-tall steel arches is special for many reasons, including the one person who was instrumental in making the project come to fruition.

“Ray Anderson,” Summey said, “who worked with me and passed away about six, seven weeks ago, had most to do of anybody in the city on this project. He was out here all the time and then come back to report to me.”

Anderson served as Mayor Summey’s special assistant for 27 years and he will soon be honored for his commitment to ensuring the bridge was complete.

“Later we will come back out and name the bridge after Ray Anderson,” Summey said.

Now that the bridge has connected the past to the present, Mayor Summey says this new structure is the start of a bright future for North Charleston.

“We’re going to create a community,” he said, “a whole community, on this base from the commercial node or the industrial node, all the way down through until we get back to Park Circle. Eventually, we’ll see high-rises, hotels, apartment complexes and businesses located on this track.”