Sidney Lanier Bridge

As you look south to the foot of Newcastle Street, you will see the Sidney Lanier Bridge, Georgia’s tallest cable-stayed suspension bridge, which provides easy access to the Golden Isles from Interstate 95 (Exit 29). This beautiful structure is 7,780 feet long and 486 feet tall.  It contains 95,283 cubic yards of concrete and 14,810,095 pounds of reinforcing steel.  The current bridge was built as a replacement to the original lift bridge which was struck by ships twice.  It was named for Georgian poet Sidney Lanier who wrote the poem Marshes of Glynn, about the beautiful marshes that surround the area.  Each year in February, there is the annual 5k Bridge Run, sponsored by Southeast Georgia Health System, when the south side of the bridge is closed to traffic and people register to run (or walk) the bridge. At the foot of the bridge on the north side, a future park, Liberty Ship Park will honor the men and women who worked in Brunswick’s shipyards in World War II, building the Liberty Ships that supplied the Allied troops around the world. The planned park will offer picnic areas with grills, benches, boardwalk, fishing pier, vending concession area and restrooms.  An observation area and fishing platform will provide glimpses of vessels large and small as they pass beneath the Sidney Lanier Bridge.  Plans also include parking for 110 vehicles, with designated boat trailer parking, a boat ramp and an attended electric lift. A 1.6 mile biking/jogging trail along Lanier Boulevard will link the park to nearby Howard Coffin Park.