New River Gorge Bridge

The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel-arch bridge, in West Virginia near Fayetteville, and was for many years, with a length of 3030 feet (924 m) the longest in the world of that type.^† Its arch extends 1700 feet (518 m). Part of US Highway 19, it is crossed by an average of 17,000 motor vehicles per day. Its construction marked the completion of "Appalachian Corridor L."

The New River Gorge Bridge spans the New River at a height of 876 feet (267 m), making it the second highest vehicular bridge in the world, the highest vehicular bridge in the Americas, and the second-highest bridge in the Americas. Before the 2004 opening of the Millau Viaduct in France, it was the highest vehicular bridge in the world. The Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado (a suspension bridge), in the United States has a higher deck than either the New River Gorge Bridge or the Millau Viaduct, at 321 m (1,053 ft) above the Arkansas River, but it is a pedestrian bridge.

Construction was begun on the bridge in June of 1974, and completed on October 22, 1977. It was designed by the Michael Baker Company and executed by U.S. Steel's American Bridge Division. Final cost of construction was $37 million (approximately $4 million over bid). It is made from Cor-ten steel, a proprietary material which was developed to obviate the need for painting, and has a rustlike appearance. The use of Cor-ten in construction presented several challenges; notable among them was ensuring that the weld-points weathered at the same rate as the rest of the steel.

Many locals say, with little exaggeration, that completion of the bridge cut the travel time from one side of the gorge to another from 45 minutes to 45 seconds.

The bridge is the centerpiece of Fayette County's "Bridge Day," during which the bridge is open to pedestrian traffic only. This festival includes demonstrations of rappelling, bungee jumping, BASE jumping, etc., and is held every October on the third Saturday. Nearby the National Park Service operates a visitor center with scenic overlooks.

The West Virginia state quarter, to be released in 2005, will feature an image of this bridge.

† The Lupu Bridge in Shanghai, completed February 8, 2003, is now the longest steel-arch bridge by 105 feet (32 m), although the New River Gorge Bridge remains the longest of its particular type.

See Also

• Midland Trail a National Scenic Byway nearby, connecting to Interstate 64 near Charleston (western end) and at Sam Black Church (eastern end)

External link

• Web page of the Bridge Day Festival
• Bridge Day - Registration and Information