West Huntington Bridge
Encyclopedia
The West Huntington Bridge (officially named the Nick Joe Rahall II Bridge, also called the West End Bridge or the 17th Street West Bridge) is a two-lane, 562 feet (171.3 m) cantilever bridge
on the west side of Huntington, West Virginia
. It crosses the Ohio River
and carries U.S. Route 52
between State Route 7 and Interstate 64.
was diverted on to a new route with Interstate 64. In 1999, the bridge was closed to traffic for refurbishing, which included a new driving surface, barriers and a green paint scheme. On May 9, 1999, the bridge was reopened and subsequently dedicated to Nick Joe Rahall, the congressman for the 3rd District of West Virginia. It was the first public works project to bear his name.
The bridge can also be seen in the closing scene of We are Marshall. A female character is seen traveling across the bridge, going into Ohio from Huntington.
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
on the west side of Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. It crosses the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and carries U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
between State Route 7 and Interstate 64.
Background
The bridge was completed in 1970 as part of the West Huntington Expressway. West Virginia Route 94 was signed on this bridge until 1984 when U.S. Route 52U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 is a United States highway that runs across the northern, eastern and southeastern regions of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S...
was diverted on to a new route with Interstate 64. In 1999, the bridge was closed to traffic for refurbishing, which included a new driving surface, barriers and a green paint scheme. On May 9, 1999, the bridge was reopened and subsequently dedicated to Nick Joe Rahall, the congressman for the 3rd District of West Virginia. It was the first public works project to bear his name.
The bridge can also be seen in the closing scene of We are Marshall. A female character is seen traveling across the bridge, going into Ohio from Huntington.
Further reading
- Nick J. Rahall Bridge (US 52) at Bridges & Tunnels