Vehicles will no longer be allowed to cross the Ohio River in the city of Wheeling, West Virgina on a bridge dating to 1849.
Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which has a main span of 310m, opened in 1849 and was designed for horse-drawn traffic.
Despite police enforcement of a 2t weight restriction and a 15m vehicle separation limit, efforts to keep overweight vehicles off the bridge have been in vain.
Wheeling Suspension Bridge now features barriers to keep vehicles off. Credit: WVDOH
West Virgina Department of Highways (WVDOH) last week gave an update on the historic structure’s future. Measures included making permanent the ban on vehicles, which has been in place since 2019.
The historic bridge is a landmark in the city of Wheeling. Credit: WVDOH
WVDOH engineers will commission a study into preservation methods. They will review options to reduce the weight of the deck and design repairs to the original suspension cables. The preservation programme will also include masonry repairs to the towers, cleaning of cut stone and replacement of timber stiffening trusses.
