The Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge is the swing span on SC-703 connecting Mount Pleasant to Sullivan's Island across the Intracoastal Waterway. It's the only road on and off Sullivan's Island for most traffic — so every opening matters to islanders and beachgoers alike.
Opened in 1945 and named for engineer Benjamin Sawyer, this swing bridge famously came to rest at a tilt after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and was later rebuilt. Today it operates under a U.S. Coast Guard opening schedule with rush-hour restrictions.
| When | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Weekday rush hours | Openings are restricted under the Coast Guard schedule |
| Off-peak & weekends | Opens on signal / scheduled openings for vessels |
| Live status | Get the exact current state and alerts in the app |
Schedules and rush-hour restrictions can change seasonally and by Coast Guard regulation. TheBridge shows the current status and recent opening history in real time — always the most reliable source.
TheBridge app shows the live status of the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge in Mount Pleasant, SC in real time. Open the app to see whether the bridge is currently open to boats or open to road traffic, and turn on push alerts so you're notified the moment it changes.
The Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge (swing span) on SC-703 opens for vessels on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Exact opening times and any rush-hour restrictions can change seasonally — TheBridge shows the current status and recent opening history so you never rely on a stale schedule.
Enable notifications in TheBridge and you'll get an instant push alert when the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge opens or closes — so you can leave a few minutes early or take another route.
No. TheBridge is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. Track the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge and other South Carolina drawbridges, see live status, and get alerts at no cost.
Download TheBridge free and get an instant alert every time the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge opens.
