Lake Bridge officially opens for business

Although the Lake Waccamaw pedestrian bridge has been in use since July 4, it’s finally officially open for business.

State Park Superintendent Toby Hall, along with Dwayne Patterson of the Division of Environment, Health and Natural Resources and Hannah Cockburn of the Department of Transportation cut the ribbon on the $340,000 bridge Tuesday morning. A large crowd of park supporters and town residents turned out for the event.

Dwayne Patterson of DEHNR joins Toby Hall of the Lake Waccamaw State Park and Hannah Cockburn of the DOT to cut the ribbon on the Lake pedestrian bridge.

Dwayne Patterson of DEHNR joins Toby Hall of the Lake Waccamaw State Park and Hannah Cockburn of the DOT to cut the ribbon on the Lake pedestrian bridge.

The bridge was officially opened just in time for this weekend’s Take The Lake personal fitness challenge. Thousands of runners, bicyclists and spectators are expected to use the bridge to make a complete — and safe — 14 mile circuit of the lake. TTL crossed the dam as a crossing in its early years, before safety concerns forced participants to start making an awkward U-turn at the dam.