WELLSBURG, W.Va. (AP) — An Ohio River bridge has been floated to its permanent location connecting roads in eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia.
Four barges slowly transported the Wellsburg Bridge on Monday about a mile from a construction yard to where it was to be lifted onto existing trestles, the West Virginia Department of Transportation said.
The $131 million tied-arch bridge will connect state Route 2 in Wellsburg with state Route 7 in Brilliant, Ohio.
The bridge will allow motorists to avoid a longer trip north or south to other bridges into either state. Traffic is expected to open on the bridge by October 2022.
Crews with Flatiron Construction move an 830-foot long tied arch span on the barges on the Ohio River, Monday, April 26, 2021, as part of the construction process of the Wellsburg Bridge. The bridge will eventually link Wellsburg, West Virginia, with Brilliant, Ohio. The tied arch span is estimated to weigh 9 million pounds, or 4,100 tons. (Scott McCloskey/The Intelligencer via AP)
