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SDITE 2008 Technical Field Trip
Cooper River Bridge & SC State Port Authority (Charleston Harbor Tour)
The field trip will take place on Tuesday afternoon from 3:15 to 5:00 pm and is shaping-up to be one of the best SDITE field trips of all time. The tour will begin at the Charleston Maritime Center as conference participants board the Carolina Belle, an 80-ft. ship that provides a climate controlled main salon and outdoor observation deck. The trip will begin with a detailed tour of the Cooper River Bridge which was open to traffic in 2005. This Lowcountry landmark includes 575-ft. high diamond shaped towers with a 1,546-ft. cable stay main span supporting an 8-lane road deck 200-ft. above the median high tide mark. Mr. Charles Dwyer, who served as Project Engineer for the design and construction of the bridge, as well as demolition of the old bridges, will be aboard to host a unique tour of this spectacular structure, which all of Charleston is very proud. Secondly, SC State Port Authority officials will provide a tour of major shipping terminals located around the harbor, including the Columbus Street Terminal, Union Pier Terminal and future site for a new 3-berth container terminal located on the former U.S. Navy Base along the Cooper River. Charleston is one of the busiest ports on the east coast handling over 2,000 ships per year, 1.9 million TEU’s (20-ft. equivalent units) and 600,000 tons of break bulk cargo, with top commodities including agricultural products, consumer goods, machinery, metals, vehicles, chemicals and clay products.
In addition to tours of these iconic transportation facilities aboard the Carolina Belle you'll also enjoy views of some of the Holy City's most famous sights, including:
• Fort Sumter: One of Charleston's most popular landmarks, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired Confederate and Union army Forts Moultrie and Johnson
• USS Yorktown: the famous World War II aircraft carrier “Fighting Lady”
• St. Michael’s Episcopal Church: A survivor of both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, whose steeple was painted black so as not to be an easy target
• Stately homes on the Battery: symbols of architectural elegance and preservation
• Dolphins skimming the water’s surface and pelicans diving for food
Schedule for the field trip is as follows:
| 3:00 – 3:15 pm | Three possible options:
• Board Carta Dash Route 210 (tickets will be provided) shuttles operate on 10-min. headway, board near hotel and disembark at SC Aquarium (walk 1-1/2 blocks to Charleston Maritime Center on 10 Wharfside St., off Concord St.)
• Walk 6 blocks total, left on Calhoun St., right on Concord St., and left on Wharfside St. to Charleston Maritime Center
• Use limited shuttle service, via Clemson Univ. CE van, for those with mobility needs, and others on a first-come, first-serve basis. |
| 3:30 – 5:00 pm | On-water tour of bridge, port and harbor, aboard 80-ft. Carolina Belle |
| 5:00 – 5:30 pm | Return to hotel using one of the options previously described. |
NOTE:
There will be a $10 fee for the Charleston Harbor Tour.
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