1817 National Road (US-40) Elm Grove Stone Bridge over Little Wheeling Creek in Wheeling, WV

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; B&T; Satellite)

US-40 Overview

This is the oldest bridge in the state of West Virginia.

Postcard via BridgeHunter

"As an 1817 structure, is is also among the oldest extant bridges in the country. It enjoys further technological significance as a relatively rare example of a stone arch that features the elliptical style of arch. The three span structure was altered in the 1950s when a concrete veneer was plastered over the stone, making it look like a concrete arch bridge. Today, some of that concrete is peeling off, so the stone is visible on a couple places. The railings and sidewalks on the bridge are concrete and are not original, although the concrete railings are still decorative in design and are not modern, dating to a 1931 alteration." [HistoricBridges]

The 1950s concrete veneer has become part of the problem instead of the solution.

2010 photo by BWSmith84 via BridgeHunter

Fortunately, a $3.8m restoration has removed that veneer.

Bridges & Tunnels by Sherman Cahal posted four photos with the comment:

The Monument Place Bridge carries the National Road and U.S. Route 40 over Little Wheeling Creek in Wheeling, West Virginia. It is the oldest bridge in the state. Built when the United States was only 41 years old, it also predates the creation of West Virginia by 46 years. The bridge took its name from nearby Monument Place, where a memorial to Henry Clay commemorated his support for the construction of the National Road.

The bridge was recently restored through a project that replaced the backfill, repaired or replaced deteriorated stone, and reconstructed the roadway deck.

🔗 More photographs and history: https://bridgestunnels.com/location/monument-place-bridge/

🔗 Read on in Along the National Road: Bridges and Landmarks in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania: https://bridgestunnels.com/.../along-the-national-road.../

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SOC and 1951 Double-Swing Bridges over North Landing River at Chesapeake, VA

(no Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

SOC = Strauss Overhead Counterweight

Douglas Butler posted
Credit to Will: Here is a 94 ft North Landing Strauss Overhead  Counterweight Bascule Bridge built in 1916 carrying Virginia Route 165 Mt Pleasant Rd near Chesapeake, VA was replaced with today's 1951 double swing bridge.

Ben Wocken, Aug 2019

You can barely see the second set of humps in the girders.

Street View, Aug 2011

For small boats, they open just one span. I've never seen a double swing span for such a narrow opening before. Maybe it is so they can half the wear on each span that they used it here.

Tim Brown, Aug 2020

Here they are both open.

Sancho Castro, Feb 2020

Because of the angle, we can barely see the span on the right.

Christine Heinsohn, Dec 2019

1976,2008 I-79 Neville Island Bridge over Ohio River at Glenfield, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; pghbridges; Satellite)

The bridge is 4,544' (1,385m) long with a 750' (227m) main span. [BridgeHunter]

This is the northern part of the bridge that goes over the navigation channel in the Ohio River.

Street View, May 2025

Turning around, we see the rest of the bridge to the south because these views are on a ramp that goes down to Neville Island.

Street View, May 2025

pghbridges
"TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION / DESIGN: steel through tied arch; deck girder approach spans and ramps"
This source specifies a length of 725' (221m) for the main span and it has a clearance of 68' (21m)
"The crossing at Neville Island was the final link in the 180-mile north-south Interstate 79."
"The main channel crossing is one of the few places where bicycles are allowed on an Interstate highway. Signs direct cyclists to stay on the shoulder. They are permitted only between the Glenfield (19) and Neville Island (18) exits."

pghbridges has a separate page for the Back Channel Bridge, i.e. the southern part.

pghbridges_back_channel

The back channel bridge gained worldwide notoriety in the winter of 1977. Only five months after a gala ribbon-cutting which opened the final link in the 180-mile Interstate 79, a 10-foot long crack in one of the bridge girders was noticed by a tow boat operator. The $50 million bridge was closed for three months while PennDOT made repairs.

The defects were blamed on an electroslag welding process. Other bridges built during this time, including the 1976 Birmingham Bridge over the Monongahela River, were also checked and repaired. The Federal Highway Administration prohibited further use of electroslag welding on all bridge tension members. Over the past 20 years, conventional processes, such as submerged arc welding and shielded metal arc welding, were used instead. A new technique Narrow Gap Improved Electroslag Welding (NGI-ESW) has been developed.

From the FHWA website: "Electroslag welding is a process used to join thick steel plates in a vertical position. A consumable guide bar is placed between the plates. This bar guides an electrode wire. The plates are joined together by melting the plate edges, the guide bar, and the electrode wire in a pool of molten metal shielded by a flux bath (slag). The flux is kept molten due to electrical resistance to the current passing through the slag."

"With NGI-ESW, the magnitude of electric current applied is much greater than in conventional electroslag welding, and the gap between the plates, and hence the amount of molten material used, is relatively small. This results in a higher welding speed."

More hairline cracks were found in the Neville Island girders in 1999. $1.8 million was budgeted for those repairs. Holes are bored at the ends of the cracks to relieve the strain and prevent the cracks from spreading further.

Pittsburgh Press Roto article, June 5, 1977:

view page - "The Award-Winning Bridge That Failed" by William Allan Jr.

[pghbridges_back_channel]

Facebook Reel

1904-1990,2013 Lost/Stillwell Road Bridge over Muskingum River

(no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Doug Chapman posted three photos with the comment: "Who remembers the Stilwell Road bridge over the Muskingum river near Adams Mills off of SR 16. It was removed in 2013 after it's been closed for over 20 years to traffic."

Doug Chapman shared with the comment: "my photos of the Stillwell Rd Bridge before being taken out in 2013. Located in Muskingum County Ohio over the Muskingum River near Coshocton Ohio. Built in 1904, closed to traffic around 1990. removed and not replaced in 2013."

Dennis DeBruler: They left the piers: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VmfjSRih31Fd5X8s9.

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Since the bridge made it to the 21st Century, I used Google Earth to find it. They already had one span removed in 2012.

Google Earth, May 2012

1877+1931,1978 West Main Street Bridge over Cuyahoga River in Kent, OH

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Kevin Frost posted
Stone Arch Bridge in Kent, circa 1877.  Work on the bridge began in 1876 when the growth of the town necessitated the replacement of the worn out covered bridge.  The bridge was finished in September of 1877, with Marvin Kent laying the final stone.  Courtesy Portage County Historical Society

Jon Ridinger: A rare look at how it originally looked before the B&O tracks came through in the early 1880s. The portion of West Main the crosses over those lower tracks is technically considered a separate bridge from the Main Street bridge.

[The comments have some newspaper clippings.]

The flour mill is behind the lamp post.

Jonathan Murphy, Sep 2021

A better view of the flour mill. It looks like one can walk across the top of the dam.

Photo by Jon Ridinger via BridgeHunter

Carolina Coastal Railway/NS/Southern Bridge to Nowhere over I-85 near Blacksburg, SC

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

The spur to the Reeves - Blacksburg Quarry is out-of-service instead of abandoned. Even though the railroad is not being used, SCDOT had to build a replacement bridge when I-85 was widened.

Street View, Sep 2023

The was the predecessor bridge.

2015 photo by Royce and Bobette Haley via BridgeHunter

The quarry has retained its track, but the railroad has removed its track.

Satellite

It is hard to follow the RoW from the bridge to the NS mainline. But if you zoom out, you can trace it.

Satellite

The fork at Mountain St. is because this industrial spur is a remnant of the Southern branch between Kingville SC to Marion NC. The route kept going south after it crossed US-29. See "Damaged Trestle" for more information about the route that went south from here.

The quarry produces granite aggregate.

The material being mined at our Blacksburg Quarry has a Los Angeles (LA) abrasion test in the low 30’s, signifying a long-term durability and soundness of this material meeting or exceeding the needs of our customers. With the convenient location of our quarry, we serve customer needs in both North Carolina and South Carolina. In addition to the North Carolina and South Carolina Departments of Transportation (DOT), we are also approved for use with the Tennessee and Georgia DOTs.

At the core of Reeves’s operations for the Blacksburg Quarry are several initiatives for protecting natural resources and wildlife. From extensive geologic testing, we know that we have sufficient reserves that will enable us to be an operating facility for decades to come. We are proud to support our local economy as a supplier and employer.

[reevescc]

Damaged/Southern Trestle over Kings Creek near Kings Creek, SC

(no Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges returns 503; Satellite)

A lady called Johnna posted

Years ago, I used to try to walk over this trestle to get over my fear of heights. I never thought I would see it looking the way it does now. This is a drone shot of an old railroad trestle over Kings Creek, South Carolina.  I believe somebody told me this was a Norfolk Southern track. It’s served a mineral plant. Dimensions: Approximately 200 yards (600+ feet) long or 1,215 feet long and 96-100 feet high and disused since 1990.

If I am incorrect on any of that information, please chime in the comments and let me know. 💪

Jon Tischuk: Still owned by Norfolk Southern, was leased to Carolina Coastal Railway to finish switching operations prior to the mineral plant closing down. Was last used in 2013

Randall Hampton shared

Old Southern Railway

Jeff Trull: Part of the SB line that ran between Kingville SC to Marion NC. Very few miles of this line exist anymore.

A section from Rock Hill to Catawba to Bowater. From Bowater to Kershaw SC is owned by the Lancaster and Chester shortline railroad. A little section outside of Kingville and not sure if any is used north of Blacksburg anymore.

James Nobbe: There is a little still left in and on both sides of Blacksburg SC. It falls under CLNA’s flag but is looooong out of service. Goes to the quarry north of 85 north of town. This is the location of infamous new bridge without tracks. When I-85 was widened a few years back, the old railroad bridge over interstate had to be demolished. Since line is not abandoned, just long term out of service, SCDOT had to build a new railroad bridge over road. So today there is a big new bridge over 85 but has no tracks on it. Bridge over line on US 29 in town is or was recently rebuilt. Even though line is completely covered in kudzu and trees, SCDOT still had to go through all the steps with CLNA far property access same as if it was an in service railroad. Line just disappears along SC 5 a few miles south of town.

I presume this is the "mineral plant" that was referred to above.

Street View, May 2008

The trestle looked intact in 2021.

Google Earth, Oct 2021

It looks like it was damaged by 2024.

Google Earth, Apr 2024

And once it was damaged, it got worse.

Google Earth, Feb 2025

Google Earth, Mar 2025