He'd wear a theme-appropriate T-shirt that reads "Good-bye Grace, Hello Arthur," and a comfortable pair of shoes and shorts.

He'd also packed his backpack. The contents included two rain ponchos, a camera, a beach towel, granola bars and a bottle of Cheerwine to wash down the gritty granola taste.

"It would have been nice to bring a big bottle of wine and some cheese," Oliver said. "But since that's not allowed, Cheerwine and granola bars will have to do."

Oliver, a recently retired West Ashley resident, was smart to plan ahead. Today, he will join thousands of people -- crowds are estimated to reach 40,000 for the weekend -- expected to attend the kickoff event for the $632 million Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. today and from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, members of the public will have their first chance to walk across the newest span connecting Charleston and Mount Pleasant, the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.

The weather might dampen the event. Forecasts called for a 45 percent to 50 percent chance of early-morning showers and thunderstorms, worsening to a 60 percent chance of showers by 2 in the afternoon. Rain or shine, Oliver said he's going to walk.

"We're from Charleston," Oliver said.

"Why wouldn't you want to be up on that bridge? We've been here watching it being built. Now it's time to walk on it."

Oliver said he plans to leave his house around 7 a.m. to beat the crowds. He said he'll park at the parking lot near Joe Riley Stadium. From there, he'll follow the directions everyone who plans to attend the event has been given: He'll walk to a bus stop and then wait for a ride to the foot of the bridge.

Buses were to start running at 7:30 a.m. from more than a dozen designated lots and garages in Mount Pleasant and Charleston. The event's park-and-ride transportation system is the only way people will be able to access the bridge, unless they live close enough to walk.

Buses will bring participants to the foot of the Morrison Drive ramp. In Mount Pleasant, participants will ride a bus shuttle to the foot of the Coleman Boulevard ramp.

Once at the bridge ramps, people then have two options: They either can walk up to the bridge's main span, a 1.5-mile walk from Charleston, a one-mile hike from Mount Pleasant, or they can switch buses to receive a ride to the bridge's main span.

The shuttle service from the base of the bridge to the main span will not be running Sunday, and people will have to walk from the base of the ramps up to the middle of the bridge.

Oliver said he and his wife, Mary, plan to walk to the top of the bridge. That will give him plenty of opportunities to snap pictures and find a good spot to pop open his bottle of nonalcoholic bubbly.

"We'll find a nice spot to throw down the beach towel and jabber with a lot of people," he said.

Rebecca Bracy planned a similar day for her family. She has two inquisitive young boys who are fascinated by the size of the new bridge.

"The boys will get a real kick out of walking across it," she said. "They'll be filled with excitement."

If the boys look closely, they might spot crews of bridge workers still hard at work. In preparation for the opening, work still needed to be done, including painting beneath the roadway, installing signs and completing some of the ramps.

"We've got a work force here, and we've got to get things done," said Bobby Clair, engineer and director of special projects with the state Department of Transportation.

"We'll be working right up to the day we cut the ribbon."

The eight-lane bridge opens to traffic next Saturday, several hours after a 9 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.