New River Gorge Bridge

Template:For Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox bridge The New River Gorge Bridge is a steel arch bridge Template:Convert long over the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia, in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States. With an arch Template:Convert long, the New River Gorge Bridge was the world's longest single-span arch bridge for 26 years;<ref name="Carter">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name=NRG>Template:Cite journal</ref> it is now the seventh longest and the longest outside of China. Part of U.S. Route 19, its construction marked the completion of Corridor L of the Appalachian Development Highway System. An average of 16,200 motor vehicles cross the bridge each day.<ref name="TrafficCount">Template:Cite web</ref>

The roadway of the New River Gorge Bridge is Template:Convert above the New River,<ref name=NRG/> making the bridge one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world; it is the third highest in the United States. When completed in 1977, it was the world's highest bridge carrying a regular roadway, a title it held until the 2001 opening of the Liuguanghe Bridge in China. Because of its height, the bridge has attracted daredevils since its construction. It is now the centerpiece of the annual "Bridge Day", during which hundreds of people, with appropriate equipment, are permitted to climb on or jump from the bridge. In 2005, the structure gained additional attention when the U.S. Mint issued the West Virginia state quarter with the bridge depicted on one side. In 2013, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

The Fayette Station Bridge over the New River, over Template:Convert below the canyon rim

West Virginia is known for its success in the coal mining industry. In the 1870s the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway led to the increase of mining towns in the new river gorge area. These towns thrived for years brining in many Americans to work. However, with the automation of coal mining, there was less of a need for employees in coal mines. This led to the thriving coal towns becoming ghost towns. Unemployment in the area skyrocketed and the economy became one of the worst in the United States.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The Federal Government decided to get involved and created the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> to try and recover the economy of the new river gorge region, specifically Fayette County. Many people saw the tourist opportunities in the area because of the scenery and decided that this would be the best way to rebuild the economy of the region. One of the main things needed to increase tourism was a viable transportation route to the area. This led to the project known as Corridor L (Route 19), which the New River Gorge Bridge is a part of.<ref name=":0" />

Before the Bridge was constructed, Route 60 was the only way to the inside of Fayette County. The mountainous terrain made it almost impossible to cross the entire county in a timely manner. Across the gorge itself was one bridge, the Fayette Station Bridge, which was only one lane. On either side of the gorge was the long and winding Route 60. This poor infrastructure decreased tourism because of the time it took to travel across the gorge.<ref name=":0" />

Corridor L aimed to cut the time it took to travel to the region. It was funded both by the state and the ARC. It would be four lanes connecting the West Virginia Turnpike in the south with I-79 to the north.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The last piece of the Corridor was the bridge which was going to be the most challenging part of the project.<ref name=":0" />

Construction began on the bridge in June 1974, and was completed on October 22, 1977. The bridge was designed by the Michael Baker Company under the direction of Chief Engineer Clarence V. Knudsen and Corporate Bridge Engineer Frank J. Kempf, and executed by U.S. Steel's American Bridge Division. The final cost of construction was $37 million (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-year dollars). It was approximately $4 million, or $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-year dollars, over bid. It is made from COR-TEN steel. The use of COR-TEN in construction presented several challenges; notable among them was ensuring that the weld points weathered at the same rate as the rest of the steel.<ref name="Kistler">Template:Cite web</ref> Unfortunately, one death accorded in the construction along with other injuries when the cable towers collapsed.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

At the time, the bridge was the West Virginia Department of Highways' largest project in its history, important both in terms of its overall cost, and that the federal government provided 70 percent of the funding. Construction gave a boost to the state and local economy; completion improved transportation.<ref name="nom">Template:Cite web</ref> The bridge cut the vehicle travel time from one side of the gorge to the other from about 45 minutes to 45 seconds.<ref name=NRG/><ref name=Images>Template:Cite web</ref>

On August 14, 2013, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.<ref name=nrhpweekly>Template:Cite press release</ref> Even though it was not yet 50 years old, it was listed for its exceptional impact on local transportation and its engineering significance.<ref name="nom"/>

Tourism

The New River Gorge Bridge is within the National Park Service's New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, which protects this portion of the New River Gorge. At the northern end of the bridge, the Park Service operates a visitor center; it has scenic overlooks and a staircase that descends part of the way into the gorge.

A steel catwalk two feet (60 cm) wide runs the full length of the bridge underneath the roadway. Originally built to facilitate inspections, the catwalk is open for guided, handicapped-accessible quarter mile "Bridge Walk" tours; visitors use safety rigging.<ref name="NRG" /><ref name="Bridge Walk">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Since its opening, the bridge has been the centerpiece of Fayette County's "Bridge Day," held the third Saturday of every October.<ref name="NRG" /> This festival includes demonstrations of rappelling, ascending, and BASE jumping.<ref>"BASE" is an acronym that stands for four categories of fixed objects from which one can jump: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs).</ref> Bungee jumping, however, has been banned during Bridge Day since 1993.

The bridge is closed to vehicular traffic during the festival. Prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, two of the bridge's four lanes were open to traffic during the festivals. Since 2001, security concerns have caused the entire span to be closed to vehicles during these events.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

The first person to jump off the New River Gorge Bridge was Burton Ervin, who lives in Cowen, West Virginia, and was a coal-mine foreman. Burton jumped on August 1, 1979, using a conventional parachute. Four BASE jumpers have died at the bridge, three of these during Bridge Day festivals.<ref name="Complete Bridge Day History">Complete Bridge Day History Template:Webarchive, My West Virginia Home website</ref><ref>BASE Jumping Fatality List</ref><ref name="huntington">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Whitener">Template:Cite news</ref>

Probably because of its height (and lack of barriers), the bridge has regularly attracted suicide jumpers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

National Park Status

After the construction of Corridor L, some believed that the area should be totally built up to support the local economy. This included building large resorts along the gorge like those seen in North Carolina. This battel was led to congress where the environmentalists won by making the area a national river on November 10,1978 protecting the river from any further destruction.<ref name=":0" />

The New River Gorge became the newest national park in the United States in 2020 after decades of destruction to the natural landscape. The national park is unique in that it was inhabited by Americans before it became a protected area along with its main feature being man-made and not natural: the New River Gorge Bridge. This is different from other National Parks that have always been recognized for their status and never inhabited by Americans. The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the many attractions in the park along with stunning views, white-water rafting, rock climbing, fishing, camping, and hiking.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>Template:Wide image

Popular culture

New River Gorge Bridge is a location in the game Fallout 76<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Featured in 2002 film Steal.

Gallery

The West Virginia state quarter, released in 2005, features the New River Gorge Bridge.
Bridge as seen from the National Park Service Visitors Center, with fog in the New River Gorge below
Close-up of the bridge supports
Walkway to observation area near the Visitors Center
The New River Gorge Bridge as seen from a small fixed-wing airplane. The Tunney Hunsaker Bridge is also visible.