South Carolina has an amazing number of rivers – more than 50, not including tributaries. So it’s no surprise that there are a lot of bridges in the state.

Bridges seem to attract paranormal activity. It’s probably because they are favorite places for jumpers and to put it indelicately, criminals looking for a quick way to dispose of bodies and crime scene evidence. With all those bridges, it’s no wonder that haunted bridges are part of local lore!

But not all bridge ghosts are eerie. Take the ghost said to haunt the Gervais Street Bridge that connects the capitol of South Carolina, Columbia, to West Columbia over the Congaree River. It was first built in 1928 and has been rebuilt a couple of times since then. It’s fitting that this bridge’s ghost isn’t scary or threatening, but just seems to be a local gal trying to get back home.

Here's a lovely photo of the bridge as it appears today. Note the whitecaps on the water below.
Mike Stroud/HMdb.org
Many people in and around Columbia regard the bridge as a South Carolina icon. It's on the National Register for Historic Places.
This 1908 photo shows the bridge's high water mark from a flood in August of that year.
Russell Maxey Photograph Collection at Richland Library
The river has a particularly strong current and sudden deep dips. Each year, rescue teams pull dozens of people out of the water. At least two people have drowned in recent years. However, they haven't left behind ghosts – perhaps because they were mourned by family and friends?

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It's a beautiful and welcoming bridge celebrated in countless photos, paintings, and symbols throughout the area.
Greg Waters/Royalty-free Collection via Getty Images
Sadly, a woman is said to have been killed on the bridge in the 1940s trying to get over to Columbia. It's important to note that there was no jump or body dump.
A better-known story is of a ghostly hitchhiker, a young woman, seen after nightfall. She's thought to be a young woman trying to get a ride to Pickens Street in Columbia.
track5/E+Collection via Getty Images
Back in the day, it wasn't so unusual for people to hitch a ride and for drivers to pick them up.
She's more likely to show up when it's raining or foggy out.
quavondo/E+ Collection via Getty Images
Maybe she just wants someone to talk to. Some people say she talks quite a bit before she melts away before their eyes, right from the passenger seat!

We’re so accustomed to thinking that ghosts or paranormal activity are evil and want to hurt us. In the case of this ghost, there doesn’t seem to be any harm intended – no one has reported any malice or threatening behavior. She may not even realize she’s deceased.

It’s kind of sad to think she’s still looking for a way back into Columbia, only to disappear and, it seems, remain on the bridge for another try on another night.

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Gervais Street Bridge, Gervais St Bridge, Columbia, SC, USA