Pomeroy-Mason Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Bridge of Honor, commonly known as the Pomeroy–Mason Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge
over the Ohio River
between the American
cities of Pomeroy, Ohio
and Mason, West Virginia
. With construction being carried out by the C.J. Mahan Construction Company and overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation
, it was completed on December 30, 2008. The crossing carries Ohio State Route 833 which connects to West Virginia Route 62.
all caused setbacks in the building process. The final cost of the bridge was approximately US$65,000,000.
At night, the bridge is illuminated by purple lights shining on the cables and towers as shown here
span once carried U.S. Highway 33. In 2003, it was renumbered to State Route 833 when US 33 was relocated along a new super-two highway to the Ravenswood Bridge
. The original two-lane span's center span was demolished on at 8:49 a.m. EDT on April 21, 2009, with several hundred spectators viewing from the Pomeroy levee. The demolition was also broadcast live via an Internet feed on WSAZ from Huntington, West Virginia
. An eight-year-old boy was selected to press the detonation button. River traffic was halted for twenty-four hours to allow for clean-up. The remainder of the bridge was removed by June 2009. The cost to remove the center span was approximately $1 million US.
Cable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
over 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...
between the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cities of Pomeroy, Ohio
Pomeroy, Ohio
Pomeroy is a village in and the county seat of Meigs County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 1,966 at the 2000 census. During the late 19th century, Pomeroy was an important producer of coal and salt...
and Mason, West Virginia
Mason, West Virginia
Mason, also known as Mason City is a town in Mason County, West Virginia, in the United States. The population was 1,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Point Pleasant, WV–OH Micropolitan Statistical Area....
. With construction being carried out by the C.J. Mahan Construction Company and overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation
Ohio Department of Transportation
The Ohio Department of Transportation is the organization of state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the state of Ohio with exception of the Ohio Turnpike. In addition to highways, the department also helps develop public transportation and...
, it was completed on December 30, 2008. The crossing carries Ohio State Route 833 which connects to West Virginia Route 62.
Construction issues
The bridge was originally scheduled to open in 2006. However, numerous unforeseen issues delayed the construction. Although work began in 2003, river flooding, poor soil stability, a rock slide, and potentially problematic formworkFormwork
Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports the shuttering moulds.-Formwork and concrete form types:...
all caused setbacks in the building process. The final cost of the bridge was approximately US$65,000,000.
At night, the bridge is illuminated by purple lights shining on the cables and towers as shown here
Former bridge
Constructed in 1928, the two-lane Cantilever bridgeCantilever 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...
span once carried U.S. Highway 33. In 2003, it was renumbered to State Route 833 when US 33 was relocated along a new super-two highway to the Ravenswood Bridge
Ravenswood Bridge
Ravenswood Bridge is a two-lane cantilever bridge in the United States, connecting Ravenswood, West Virginia and rural Meigs County, Ohio, across the Ohio River. It has a total length of with a main span of...
. The original two-lane span's center span was demolished on at 8:49 a.m. EDT on April 21, 2009, with several hundred spectators viewing from the Pomeroy levee. The demolition was also broadcast live via an Internet feed on WSAZ from 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...
. An eight-year-old boy was selected to press the detonation button. River traffic was halted for twenty-four hours to allow for clean-up. The remainder of the bridge was removed by June 2009. The cost to remove the center span was approximately $1 million US.
External links
- Pomeroy-Mason Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels
- Pomeroy-Mason Bridge at Historic Bridges of Michigan and Elsewhere