Interstate 470 Bridge : History Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Interstate 470 Bridge

Bridge in United States of America

40°02′59″N 80°43′51″W / 40.0498°N 80.7307°W / 40.0498; -80.7307Carries4 lanes of

I-470CrossesOhio RiverLocaleBellaire, Ohio and Wheeling, West VirginiaOfficial nameVietnam Veterans Memorial BridgeMaintained byWest Virginia Department of Transportation ID number00000000035A123CharacteristicsDesignTied-arch bridgeTotal length409 m (1,342 ft)Longest span239 m (784 ft)Clearance above21 m (69 ft)HistoryConstruction start1975 (1975)Construction end1983Location Map

References^[1]^[2]

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge is a four-lane tied arch bridge in the United States. It carries Interstate 470 over the Ohio River between Bellaire, Ohio and Wheeling, West Virginia.

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.^[3] Additionally, delays in completing Ohio State Route 7 along the western shores of the river and Interstate 470 also resulted in the bridge not fully opening. ^[2]

The estimated cost to construct the span was about $54 million.^[4]

The opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, along with another bridge in nearby Moundsville was thought to have reduced the amount of traffic, and thus tolls collected by the nearby Bellaire Bridge by up to 50 percent in 1987.^[5]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, Wheeling.

References

^ Federal Highway Administration (2012). "NBI Structure Number: 00000000035A123". National Bridge Inventory. Federal Highway Administration.
^ ^a ^b "Problems Stall Ohio River Span Opening". Sunday Times-Sentinel. Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Associated Press. July 24, 1983. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
^ "Frayed Cables Delay Span". Daily Times. Portsmouth, Ohio. Associated Press. April 27, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
^ Hodel, Martha Bryson (November 20, 1980). "New Bridges to Cut Down Travel Time". The Daily Sentinel. Middleport, Ohio. Associated Press. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
^ Harrison, Eric (March 1, 1987). "For Sale: 1 Toll Bridge In The Heart Of The 'Rust Belt'". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A19. ProQuest 286123854.