Unbuilding the Grace and Pearman Bridges


For Sparky and myself, curiosity drives passion which in turn fuels our life's engine. Our passion was capturing the story of both unbuilding the Grace (1929 - 2007) and Pearman (1966 - 2007) Bridges and discovering the unbuilders. It takes a lot of passion to track a project from July 2005 until April 2007 - rain, shine, hurricanes or moving to Singapore. We discovered the joy of discovery learning. Ken Canty opened the front door for us - then Steve Testa, Ponch Billingsley and Mickey Rogers opened many side doors. Below are the highlights of what we discovered, who we met and what we learned.

And a reminder from T.S. Eliot (East Coker from the Four Quartets) 

Home is where one starts from. As we grow older
The world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated
Of dead and living. Not the intense moment
Isolated, with no before and after,
But a lifetime burning in every moment
And not the lifetime of one man only
But of old stones that cannot be deciphered.
Home Meeting St East Bay Drum Island Mt. PLeasant Pearman Stories Grace Stories Implosions Enginnering Insights Stories of unbuilders Learning Links Bridge Video Bridge Blog Unbuilding Archive All Unbuilding Segments Building the Ravenel Bridge Photo Essays About me
May 12, 2006:
Between Meeting and East Bay

Well even from Singapore, I know this is the Cooper River - the Pearman worksite

and the Grace worksite - with Mickey's John Henry waiting to do more vertical drilling

It has been a long time since we have visited Lee St between Meeting and East Bay. Lots of rebuilding after the unbuilding. Here is Lee St looking toward East Bay

and on January 25, 2006 when the ramp removal was complete

and can you remember this? (August 10, 2005)

and looking south along America Street today

and on September 12, 2005

where Ponch is busy building a

storm drain

Laying the cover panel

More of Ponch - its been a long time since I've seen him, and even from Singapore, he still has his smile

Then up a block to Hanover St.

Looking down Lee at the Hanover intersection

another view

Then looking up Lee St toward Meeting St and the new sidewalk

From the intersection of Lee and Meeting looking toward East Bay

and along Nassau St. Both unbuilding and rebuilding in action.

and on August 27, 2005 - before

At Meeting St - I suspect this is more work on the storm drainage system.

Meeting St looking south.

From the corner of Meeting and Lee looking diagonally across. Remember the tangle of exit and access roads to I-26?

looking down Lee at Meeting St. New sidewalks and storm drainage system.

Looking along Meeting St

Looking toward Meeting St across Nassau.

Ponch working near the pool

This is a very familiar place where I used to park before walking up the Grace off-ramp.

and on August 11, 2005

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

C. Frank Starmer

_