The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge is a four-lane
tied arch bridge
A tied-arch bridge is an arch bridge in which the outward horizontal forces of the arch(es) caused by tension at the arch ends to a foundation are countered by equal tension of its own gravity plus any element of the total deck structure such grea ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It carries
Interstate 470 over the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
between
Bellaire,
Ohio
Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
and
Wheeling,
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
.
History
Construction on the tied-arch bridge began in 1975, and was scheduled to be completed by 1981. Frays in the vertical hanger cables delayed the opening of the bridge, which was scheduled to open in July 1981.
Additionally, delays in completing
Ohio State Route 7
State Route 7 (SR 7), formerly known as Inter-county Highway 7 until 1921 and State Highway 7 in 1922, is a north–south state highway in the southern and eastern portions of the U.S. state of Ohio. At about in length, it is the longest s ...
along the western shores of the river and Interstate 470 also resulted in the bridge not fully opening.
The estimated cost to construct the span was about $54 million.
The opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, along with another bridge in nearby
Moundsville
Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, United States, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia metropolitan area. The population was 8,122 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. T ...
was thought to have reduced the amount of traffic, and thus tolls collected by the nearby
Bellaire Bridge
The Bellaire Bridge or Interstate Bridge is a privately owned, closed cantilever truss toll bridge that spans the Ohio River between Benwood, West Virginia (near Wheeling) and Bellaire, Ohio (near Martins Ferry). It provided a link for commut ...
by up to 50 percent in 1987.
See also
*
List of crossings of the Ohio River
This is a complete list of current bridges and other crossings of the Ohio River from the mouth at the Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois to the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Illinois–Kentu ...
*
Fort Henry Bridge
The Fort Henry Bridge is a crossing of the Ohio River main channel in Wheeling, West Virginia. The tied-arch bridge carries two lanes in each direction of Interstate 70 (I-70), U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 250. The bridge opened af ...
, another tied arch bridge across the Ohio River at Wheeling
References
External links
*
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridgeat Bridges & Tunnels
{{Crossings navbox
, structure= Bridges
, place=
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, bridge= Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge
, bridge signs=
, upstream=
Wheeling Steel Bridge(demolished)
, upstream signs =
, downstream=
Bellaire Bridge
The Bellaire Bridge or Interstate Bridge is a privately owned, closed cantilever truss toll bridge that spans the Ohio River between Benwood, West Virginia (near Wheeling) and Bellaire, Ohio (near Martins Ferry). It provided a link for commut ...
(closed)
, downstream signs =
Bridges over the Ohio River
Transportation in Ohio County, West Virginia
Bridges in Belmont County, Ohio
Buildings and structures in Wheeling, West Virginia
Road bridges in Ohio
Road bridges in West Virginia
Bridges on the Interstate Highway System
Interstate 70
Tied arch bridges in the United States
Metal bridges in the United States
Vietnam War monuments and memorials in the United States