Greenville has many things, but there is one thing that we don’t have. An official nickname.
Charleston it’s the Holy City, Columbia It is Soda City, Spartanburg It is Hub city and Sparkle City, and Anderson it’s the Electric City. So this morning, we would like to propose an option – “The City of Bridges.”
Although this title officially belongs to Pittsburgh, we think we have gathered some evidence to support our claim.👇 (And yes, we know that some of these bridges are not * exactly * in the city, but they are close enough, right?)
Liberty Bridge
📍 Location: Falls Park on the Reedy River
🗓️ Year of construction: 2004
🧠 Quick fact: Located in the heart of the city center, this highly recognizable landmark stretches 355 feet across the Reedy River. For those of you who didn’t live in Greenville at the time, a six-lane highway called Camperdown Bridge was demolished in 2002 to make way for the iconic Liberty Bridge, and at the time, many Greenvillians were upset by these changes.
Eugenia Duke Bridge
📍 Location: 428 S. Main St.
🗓️ Year of construction: Dedicated in 2018
🧠 Quick fact: Eugenia Duke, one of Greenville’s first businesswomen, started the Duke Sandwich Company in her kitchen on Manly Street in 1917. When she started, Eugenia sold her homemade sandwiches for ten cents each.
Xanthene Sayles Norris Pedestrian Bridge
📍 Location: Hampton Ave.
🗓️ Year of construction: 2020
🧠 Quick fact: In 2012, the Hampton Avenue bridge was demolished, leaving the Southernside community practically isolated for almost a decade. Last year, this $ 1.5 million pedestrian bridge spanning 150 feet was named in honor of Greenville County Councilor Xanthene Norris, who has served for five terms since 1997
Auro Bridge
📍 Location: Unity park
🗓️ Year of construction: 2022
🧠 Quick fact: This bridge is #ComingSoon for Greenville’s new Unity Park. The 165-foot bridge will be made of weather-resistant steel, cable harness and wooden deck – a tribute to the rich industrial history of the place. The Auro Bridge is a critical component of the new park, offering accessible ADA connections across the River Reedy and an exclusive view of the restored river corridor. The custom 14 foot wide bridge will be built by Bridge Brothers of Atlanta at a cost of $ 2 million.
Spirit Bridge (for Survival)
📍 Location: Cancer Survivor Park
🗓️ Year of construction: 2018
🧠 Quick fact: This bridge was designed to mimic the minimally intrusive profile and dramatic lighting of the Ponte da Liberdade and was partially financed with money raised during spiritual weeks at local high schools in 2013.
Rock Quarry Bridge
📍 Location: Rock Quarry Garden
🗓️ Year of construction: Unknown
🧠 Quick fact: Although we don’t know much about this small picturesque bridge, we do know that the garden is located on the site of a pre-Civil War granite quarry.
Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. Bridge
📍 Location: Major Rudolf Anderson Memorial
🗓️ Year of construction: Unknown
🧠 Quick fact: You have probably already cycled or walked this bridge if you go to SRT. It was named after Major Rudolf Anderson of Greenvill, who was the only victim of the Cuban missile crisis. You can learn more about Major Anderson on here.
Carolina Foothills Garden Club Sanctuary Bridge
📍 Location: Carolina Foothills Garden Club Sanctuary in Falls Park
🗓️ Year of construction: Unknown
🧠 Quick fact: While we hand out nicknames, let’s give one to this beautiful bridge in Falls Park. Located near the Medusa Tree, this stone bridge is one of the most unstable points in the park, but it does not have an official name (as far as we know).
Poinsett Bridge
📍 Location: 580 Callahan Mountain Rd., Landrum
🗓️ Year of construction: 1820
🧠 Quick fact: This bridge is believed to be the oldest surviving bridge in South Carolina and potentially across the Southeast. One of the 30 Most Haunted Places in America by Condé Nast Traveler in 2019.
Campbell Covered Bridge
📍 Location: 171 Campbell Covered Bridge Rd., Landrum
🗓️ Year of construction: 1909
🧠 Quick fact: DYK Campbell was not always painted with the iconic barn red that we know and love today? The wooden structure (now the only one of its kind left in South Carolina) was painted during the restoration in 1964.
Old Dunham Bridge
📍 Location: Old Anderson Rd., Powdersville
🗓️ Year of construction: 1929
🧠 Quick fact: The Old Dunham Bridge is one of the last remaining steel truss bridges in the state of South Carolina. The bridge was used for car traffic until the late 1990s, but can now be accessed on foot or by bicycle from the adjacent to Dolly Cooper Park.