The Phil G. McDonald Memorial Bridge, also known as the ''Glade Creek Bridge'', is a

deck truss A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

bridge located in Raleigh County, West Virginia near the city of Beckley. The bridge is among the ten highest bridges in the United States, and the highest bridge within the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

being a part of

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchang ...

, with a deck height of above

Glade Creek Glade Creek may refer to: * Glade Creek (Georgia), a stream in the US state of Georgia * Glade Creek (Idaho), a stream in Idaho * Glade Creek (Manns Creek), a tributary of Manns Creek, in its turn a New River tributary, in Fayette County, West Vir ...

. The bridge is also among the top hundred highest bridges in the world. The bridge is named after West Virginia native Phill G. McDonald (the official bridge name is missing the second 'L') who was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

—for his actions in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. The bridge has a main span length of and a total length of . The completion of the bridge was the final part of I-64 to be built in

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 B ...

with Governor Arch Moore opening the bridge at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 15 July 1988.

References

Road bridges in West Virginia Truss bridges in the United States Buildings and structures in Raleigh County, West Virginia {{WestVirginia-bridge-struct-stub