Star City Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Edith B. Barill Bridge, more commonly known as the Star City Bridge, was completed in 2004 and connects Star City
Star City, West Virginia
Star City is a small town in Monongalia County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Morgantown, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

 with Interstate 79 and western Monongalia County
Monongalia County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 81,866 people, 33,446 households, and 18,495 families residing in the county. The population density was 227 people per square mile . There were 36,695 housing units at an average density of 102 per square mile...

. The bridge serves as a primary means of access to the north side of Morgantown
Morgantown, West Virginia
Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...

.

The former Star City Bridge was built in 1950. In 2002, that bridge was demolished and replaced by the current five-lane bridge that was completed in 2004. It has since been dedicated the Edith Barill Bridge after a long-time Star City mayor but is still generally known as the Star City Bridge.

The new Star City Bridge is equipped with over 700 sensors that measure the weight, speed, and number of vehicles that cross it. This data will be studied at West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...

, and used to study the effect of everyday traffic on the bridge, but especially large, commercial trucks. The sensors will also measure how the bridge expands and contracts in the different temperatures of each season. The data will be used for the West Virginia Division of Highways to find and correct weak points in the bridge.

See also

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