Bellaire Bridge

The Bellaire Bridge or Interstate Bridge is a privately owned, closed cantilever truss toll bridge that spans the Ohio River between Benwood, West Virginia (near Wheeling) and Bellaire, Ohio (near Martins Ferry). It provided a link for commuters between southern Ohio border towns and West Virginia steel mills from 1926 to 1991.The overall length of the bridge is, including the approach of on the West Virginia side and on the Ohio side of the river. The highest point in the bridge is above the water line.Built in 1926, the bridge is likely the oldest cantilever truss bridge in West Virginia, and is the second oldest vehicular truss bridge over the entire Ohio River. It is currently unused, and missing approach spans on the Ohio side., the bridge remains standing, but is scheduled to be demolished.ConstructionThe bridge was designed as a cantilever truss bridge by J. E. Greiner and Company, with the Vang Construction Company as contractors of the substructure; the J.E. Moss Iron Works and the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company as co-contractors of the superstructure. The R. R. Kitchen company of Wheeling had charge of placing the floor in the bridge.