Construction of new bridge coming along
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Tuesday marked one year since the Wellsburg Bridge -- the largest bridge ever floated into place in North America -- was lifted onto its piers above the Ohio River near Wellsburg. Since then, crews have been working away at completing the span, with plans to finish work late this year.
When the 830-foot main span came to its resting spot, floated down the river and lifted into place by massive jacks over 13 hours, there was plenty of interest in the project on both sides of the Ohio River and both north and south of the site.
"The bridge float was the biggest news story around at the time," Tony Clark, West Virginia Division of Highways District 6 Engineer said, "but there has been a great deal of work since then."
Work is now under way to tie the main span in with state Route 2 on the West Virginia side of the bridge, and with Third Street in Brilliant on the Ohio side.
On the West Virginia side, work is complete building a nearly mile-long retaining wall necessary to add a third lane to Route 2.
The third lane will allow access to the bridge. Steel work has also been finished and most of the concrete poured to connect the main span of the bridge with Route 2.
On the Ohio side, part of the bridge connecting the main span with the Ohio shoreline is complete.
A section of the bridge passing over Ohio Route 7 must still be built to connect the Ohio side of the structure with Third Street.
When finished, the bridge will connect the communities of Wellsburg and Brilliant.
The bridge will reduce travel time between the two communities, provide a new river crossing for commerce, and provide another way across the river if work needs to be done on neighboring spans.
"We're looking forward to seeing it open," Clark said.