The youngster's perception of her grandfather's role in the construction of South Carolina's priciest new landmark isn't too far off the mark. Clair, as the state Transportation Department's engineer and director of special projects, was the state's top watchdog on the four-year construction of the 3.5-mile-long cable-stayed bridge that now graces Charleston Harbor. In many ways, he set the pace for the entire project.

WADE SPEES/STAFF Bobby Clair, who headed the state Department of Transportation in building the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, will retire in August. The 59-year-old hopes to do consulting work.

He kept a close eye on the bridge's design plans, finances and the contractor to ensure the bridge went up on time and on budget.

He succeeded on both counts.Now, with the bridge opening July 16, he is ready to try something new. Clair on Tuesday said he's retiring from the Transportation Department after 37 years.

Clair had tried to retire before, in 1999, but transportation officials persuaded him to stay on another two years to train his replacement. That two years took Clair into the start of the bridge's construction, which he swore would be his last project.

Still, colleagues had hoped Clair would stick around a while longer.

"I knew it (this day) was coming, but I didn't think it would come this quickly," said state Highway Commissioner Bob Harrell. "I think that everybody had hoped he would stay with the agency. He'd be an excellent candidate to run the DOT one day."

Clair said he doesn't have another job lined up yet, but he would like to do consulting work for a local engineering firm. The 59-year-old said he plans to work for another 10 years.

"I'm not leaving just to leave," Clair said Tuesday. "It's just time to move on to something else. I enjoy what I do, and I never wanted to stay here until I was old and lost my ability to be innovative."

Despite his worries, Clair's ideas for the bridge project were far from dated suggestions of a has-been industry veteran. He came up with a number of strategies that pushed the bridge toward completion a year ahead of schedule.

For example, project-partnering was one of his ideas that brought all the project's top players together four times a year to hash out problems. The bridge also was constructed using a newer technique called "design-build." That means engineers continued to work on design details even after workers started building the bridge.

"He's definitely not afraid to step out and try new approaches," said Charles Dwyer, the state's bridge project manager. "The design-build contract is a testament to his ability to adapt."

Dwyer first interviewed with Clair in 1999. In Clair's absence, Dwyer will oversee the next phase of activity over the Cooper River, the demolition of the two aging bridges. He said Clair's attention to the needs of those who live in a community affected by a project is a lesson Dwyer will heed during the demo project.

"It can be as simple as hearing that someone leaves for work at 3 p.m., so you know not to block their driveway," Dwyer said. "If you can't hear people's concerns, you miss out on opportunities to avoid negative impacts."

The project, however, did come under attack from some downtown residents. Earlier this month, Charleston City Councilman Kwadjo Campbell filed a civil rights complaint over a city- approved plan to offset the impacts of building the new bridge. Campbell said the centerpiece of the plan, the redevelopment of land between Meeting and East Bay streets where the old bridges stand, will only hasten gentrification of the East Side.

Still, Clair's coworkers said he has handled community requests efficiently and credited him with solving problems before they become huge, unmanageable issues.

"He takes a common-sense approach to handling people," said Danny Shealy, the state's director of construction. "He's very good at looking ahead."

As a man who has dealt with traffic and transportation problems most of his life, he sees big changes down the road for state residents.

Clair said the entire community is figuring out that regional planning hasn't been as effective as it could have been. He said the need for individual counties to raise money through sales-tax referendums for road projects must continue. He also said that light-rail service is needed immediately and that park-and-ride lots for commuters will become increasingly popular over the next 10 years.

As for his own future, he'll enjoy his time left on the bridge before moving on. "It was the most challenging project I've ever worked on," Clair said. "The last four years I've spent building the bridge have felt like four months."

Those he'll leave behind said they'll miss Clair's open-door policy toward employees and community residents. He was the best manager to work for, said Rickie Green, a resident engineer with the Transportation Department.

"I wish I could walk out the door with him," Green said. "There's no better way to end your career than on a positive note."

ROAD WORK

Projects Bobby Clair oversaw include:

-- Widening of U.S. Highway 17 from two to four lanes between Georgetown and Mount Pleasant, and between Rantowles to the Edisto River.

-- Construction of the Mark Clark Expressway (Interstate 526) between U.S. 17 in West Ashley and Charleston International Airport.

-- Original widening of Ashley Phosphate from two to five lanes.

-- Widening of U.S. 52 in North Charleston from four to six lanes between Durant Avenue and Ashley Phosphate Road, and from two to four lanes between Moncks Corner and Kingstree.

-- Construction of the Cross Island Expressway on Hilton Head Island.