For now, the Ben Sawyer Bridge opens for boats three times a day: 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The rest of the day, the swing span stays shut to the water and open to cars. That has been the arrangement since the October 19 malfunction left the span unable to lock into place. According to The Post and Courier, it will stay that way until a permanent repair is made.
Anyone crossing between Mount Pleasant and the island now faces a different kind of wait. Before October 19, the bridge opened on signal for much of the day, and an opening averaged about eight minutes. Now the openings are fewer and scheduled, and each one can last up to 25 minutes. The wait is longer when it comes, but you know when it's coming. As of late October, a drive across Sullivan's Island's main connection to the mainland can be planned by the clock.
What Happened on October 19, and in the Days After
The Ben Sawyer is a swing span. The Post and Courier explains that its movable section locks into place for cars and rotates 90 degrees to let boats through. On October 19, it could not lock back into place. The days that followed went like this:
- October 19: The span malfunctioned and the bridge closed to traffic overnight.
- October 20: Crews made a temporary repair, and the bridge reopened early that morning. It closed again that night for more maintenance.
- October 21: The bridge was open again to regular traffic, emergency vehicles and school buses. Heavy commercial vehicles were barred until a permanent repair.
- October 26: SCDOT closed the bridge again from 9 p.m. to midnight for maintenance, as ABC News 4 reported, and told drivers to use the Isle of Palms Connector.
The Post and Courier reported that the cause had not been identified. The U.S. Coast Guard is working with SCDOT on "limited, off-peak marine openings" until the bridge is permanently fixed. SCDOT spokesperson Tyler Fedor told the paper, "Further evaluations and repairs will be needed to ensure the bridge can open for marine traffic." When WCBD reported on October 21, SCDOT had given no timeline for permanent repairs and said it would give advance notice of future closures.
The Rulebook the Bridge Normally Follows
The temporary schedule only makes sense next to the normal one. Federal drawbridge rules set when the Ben Sawyer has to open, in 33 CFR 117.911. Most of the day, it opens on signal.
| Normal federal rule | Temporary schedule, late October 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekdays | Opens on signal, but need not open 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. | 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. |
| Weekends and federal holidays | From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., need open only on the hour | 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. |
| Typical length of an opening | About eight minutes on average | Up to 25 minutes |
| Heavy commercial trucks | Allowed | Barred, sent to the IOP Connector |
The eight-minute figure is an average that SCDOT's bridge engineer described to The Post and Courier. It is not a legal limit. ABC News 4 reported that a 25-minute opening is more than twice the normal time.
Under either schedule, the federal rule still requires the bridge to pass U.S. public vessels and tugs with tows at any time on proper signal. The new times avoid the windows the federal rule already protects. All three fall outside the weekday morning and evening rush hours, so the commute hours keep the relief they had before. The big change is in the rest of the day. On a normal weekday, a car at midday might hit a short opening almost any time a boat signaled. Now the stops come at fixed hours and last longer. Weekends change the most. The normal rule allowed hourly openings from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., which could mean ten or eleven a day. The temporary schedule allows three.
Planning a Crossing by the Clock
The posted times are the planning tool. At up to 25 minutes per opening, the bridge can be closed to cars for as much as an hour and a quarter spread across the day. Outside those windows, the only boat-related wait on the bridge is gone, for now. In practice, a day breaks down like this:
- Morning: The window to watch starts at 10 a.m. A trip toward Mount Pleasant, or onto the island for a midmorning appointment, that clears the bridge before 10 should not hit a boat opening.
- Midday: The 2 p.m. opening falls in the middle of the afternoon errand hours. Lunch on Coleman Boulevard or a school pickup nearby works more smoothly if you cross well before or after it.
- Evening: The 7 p.m. opening lands at dinner time. Anyone heading back to the island from a restaurant in Mount Pleasant, or driving out to dinner on Middle Street, could reach the bridge just as it swings.
- Overnight: Separate from the boat schedule, SCDOT has used evening closures for repair work. Its October 26 notice sent drivers to the IOP Connector.
The IOP Connector is also the alternate route when a 25-minute wait costs more than the extra miles. It reaches the island from the Isle of Palms end.
What the Truck Ban Moves to the Other End of the Island
Car traffic now runs on a schedule. Truck traffic has been rerouted. Heavy commercial vehicles are barred from the Ben Sawyer until a permanent repair. WCBD reported that school buses and emergency vehicles, fire trucks included, can still cross.
The reported weight threshold differs by source. The Post and Courier quoted Sullivan's Island Police Chief Glenn Meadows saying trucks over 13,000 pounds should use the Isle of Palms Connector. WCBD described a posted 13-ton restriction. Those numbers are far apart, since 13 tons is 26,000 pounds. Anyone booking a delivery truck, dump truck or concrete pour should confirm with the hauler which route its driver will use. The signs on the bridge are the final word.
This matters on an island where so much building work arrives by truck. Rick Todd, president and CEO of the South Carolina Trucking Association, told WCBD that restrictions like this one determine "where they can go and then how long that particular service route becomes, and then that's a cost." He added that the cost includes mileage, fuel and driver time. He also said the detours could affect deliveries and construction projects. Expect heavier trucks to arrive from the Isle of Palms end, after a longer drive. How long that lasts is not settled. Fedor told The Post and Courier, "How long the truck restriction will last for will depend on our permanent repair plan."
Why a Swing Span This Old Gets Handled Carefully
The October malfunction followed a rough summer. In July 2026, Sullivan's Island's police chief told ABC News 4 there had been four malfunctions "in the last month or so." Those problems involved the traffic arms or trouble closing after boat openings, and the bridge was running normally again when the station reported it. Live 5 reported a 2023 episode in which the bridge was stuck for about an hour, from 5:43 p.m. to 6:43 p.m.
The bridge has a long history. The Town of Sullivan's Island's transportation page says it was built in 1945, heavily damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and rehabilitated in 2010 for $32 million. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recounts that Hugo tipped the bridge off its axis into the waterway, and that it was back in service about two weeks later. Fewer openings mean fewer chances for a span that has already failed to lock once to get stuck again. That is a reasonable explanation for why the temporary limits fall on boats and trucks while cars keep crossing.
The First Full Week of November on the Island
Two events will bring more people onto island roads while the temporary schedule is in place. The Town Administrator's fall message lists LOWVELO charity riders on various island roads Saturday, November 7, from 8 to 11:30 a.m. On Sunday, November 8, Art on the Beach runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is a self-guided tour of artwork and food at roughly eight to ten island homes. Saturday's ride runs through the 10 a.m. opening, and visitors heading to Sunday's tour may meet the 2 p.m. opening on their way. The Town's calendar is the place to check for changes. Next on the list is the Sullivan's Island Station Lighting and Fireworks on December 4.
The schedule described here is the one SCDOT and the Coast Guard set in late October, in place until further notice. The bridge will go back to its federal rulebook only after SCDOT announces a permanent repair.
If a renovation, a move or a closing on Sullivan's Island depends on heavy trucks or a fixed delivery window this fall, Robertson Allen and The Cassina Group can help you plan the logistics around the bridge as it operates now. Schedule a private market consultation.
