A Friend to Loggerhead Turtles

Conservation of Natural Resources

A FRIEND TO LOGGERHEAD TURTLES

When SCDOT undertook the largest construction project in South Carolina’s history, the replacement of the Cooper River Bridges in Charleston, it posed a considerable risk to the diverse wildlife of the area. Team members from SCDOT worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and multiple private agencies to identify dangers to natural habitats. Practical solutions were developed to protect, and enhance the homes of some of Charleston’s most precious “citizens,” the loggerhead turtles.

The signature main span of the new bridge is accentuated by lighting for the towers and cables that turns off at various times during the year.  During the nesting season for endangered sea turtles, the lights are turned off at 10 p.m., reducing the chance that lights on the city skyline will keep the turtles from finding their return path to the ocean.  During the remainder of the year, these aesthetic lights turn off at midnight to save energy.