BJU pedestrian bridge over Pleasantburg removed & here's why

Elizabeth LaFleur | The Greenville News

Show Caption Hide Caption What happened to the pedestrian bridge over Pleasantburg Drive? Bob Jones University facilities crews removed the pedestrian bridge over N. Pleasantburg Drive recently for general maintenance work. The bridge provides students a safer way to cross the busy street.

Drivers who travel the North Pleasantburg corridor near Bob Jones University may have noticed something missing overhead.

The pedestrian bridge that connects BJU's campus to the lots across busy North Pleasantburg Drive was recently removed for general maintenance, according to Randy Page, Director of Public Relations at BJU.

BJU facilities crews are doing general maintenance on the bridge and painting it. Page said the bridge will be down for several weeks but should be back in place by the time a new school year begins in late August.

The stairs and elevated platforms that stand on either side of the road at the site of the bridge are still standing, though each is blocked by red caution tape.

The bridge itself is resting on a platform on an empty lot a few dozen feet away from where it usually stands.

The bridge was built in 1986 to provide students a safer way to cross the increasingly busy thoroughfare. Thousands of cars pass under the bridge on a typical day. BJU is home to about 3,000 students during the academic year, according to BJU.edu

If you have a question about the Upstate that you'd like answered, email elafleur@greenvillenews.com or find her on Twitter @eslafleur