The Robert C. Byrd Bridge is a continuous truss bridge that crosses 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

Huntington, West Virginia Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is the county seat of Cabell County, and the largest city in the Huntington–Ashland metropolitan area, sometimes referred to as the Tri-State Area. A h ...

and

Chesapeake, Ohio Chesapeake is a village in Lawrence County, Ohio, United States. The population was 691 at the 2020 census. It lies across the Ohio River from Huntington, West Virginia, at the mouth of Symmes Creek. A bridge across the Ohio River connects Ches ...

. The crossing was constructed to replace an old, narrow, two-lane structure that was demolished after 69 years of service in a spectacular implosion on July 17, 1995. The previous bridge, opened in 1926, was Huntington's first bridge across the Ohio River and was designed in a gothic style, complete with four two-ton spires that rested on top of each peak. The groundbreaking ceremony for the four-lane bridge was held on April 30, 1991. James Watkins, of the

Ohio Department of Transportation The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT; ) is the administrative department of the Ohio state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and U.S. roadways outside of municipalities and all Interstates except the Ohio T ...

, stated that the importance of the new four-lane span would only be heightened by the construction of the Chesapeake-Proctorville

State Route 7 The following highways are numbered 7. For roads numbered A7, see list of A7 roads. Route 7, or Highway 7, may refer to: International * AH7, Asian Highway 7 * European route E07 * European route E007 Afghanistan *Kunduz-Khomri Highway (A7) ...

bypass that would "begin in 1996."Bridge opening sparks memories." The Ironton Tribune. 6 Nov. 1994." Work on the bypass did not begin until 2000. The old 6th Street Bridge closed in the summer of 1993 to allow for the construction of the ramps and approaches in West Virginia and Ohio. The new bridge was named the Robert C. Byrd Bridge under an executive order from former Governor

Gaston Caperton William Gaston Caperton III (born February 21, 1940) is an American politician who served as the 31st Governor of West Virginia from 1989 to 1997. He was president of the College Board, which administers the nationally recognized SAT and AP te ...

to honor the

U.S. senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

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 ...

, who is credited with obtaining the funding for the project that was completed on November 6, 1994. The $32.6 million bridge was constructed with $1.4 coming from

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 ...

, $5.6 coming from West Virginia, and $25.3 in federal funds. The famous spires which once adorned the top of the former span were saved. One is currently on display outside of the

Chesapeake Chesapeake often refers to: *Chesapeake people, a Native American tribe also known as the Chesepian * The Chesapeake, a.k.a. Chesapeake Bay *Delmarva Peninsula, also known as the Chesapeake Peninsula Chesapeake may also refer to: Populated plac ...

city hall at the intersection of

and the Robert C. Byrd Bridge. Two others are installed along 9th Street between 3rd and 5th Avenues.Chambers, Bryan. "Plaza to reopen in December." 26 Nov. 2006 Herald-Dispatch untington 27 27 Nov. 200

References

External links

Robert C. Byrd Bridge)
at Bridges & Tunnels
Spires from original Sixth Street Bridge - Clio
{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =

, bridge = Robert C. Byrd Bridge , bridge signs = , upstream =

East Huntington Bridge The East Huntington Bridge (officially the Frank Gatski Memorial Bridge, also called the East End Bridge or the 31st Street Bridge) is a cable-stayed bridge crossing the Ohio River at Huntington, West Virginia. It carries West Virginia Route 106 ...

, upstream signs = , downstream =

West Huntington Bridge The West Huntington Bridge (officially named the Nick Joe Rahall II Bridge, also called the West End Bridge or the 17th Street West Bridge) is a two-lane, cantilever bridge on the west side of Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It crosses ...

, downstream signs = Road bridges in Ohio Road bridges in West Virginia Bridges over the Ohio River Buildings and structures in Huntington, West Virginia Buildings and structures in Lawrence County, Ohio Continuous truss bridges in the United States Transportation in Lawrence County, Ohio Transportation in Cabell County, West Virginia Bridges completed in 1926 Bridges completed in 1994 1926 establishments in Ohio 1926 establishments in West Virginia Interstate vehicle bridges in the United States

See also

References

External links