New River Gorge Bridge - newrivergorgearchbridge197351
by Frank J Benz
Title
New River Gorge Bridge - newrivergorgearchbridge197351
Artist
Frank J Benz
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
New River Gorge Bridge
The New River Gorge Bridge is 3,030 feet and 6 inches in length and the arch that holds the roadway up is 1,700 feet in length. The bridge is of a fairly traditional design however due to the many major obstacles the ironworkers had to overcome, its monumental scale and the then remote Appalachian location the project represents a number of construction accomplishments. The bridge is 876 feet above the New River and when it was opened to traffic it turned a 45 minute drive from one side of the river to the other into a one-minute journey.
The bridge has four 12 foot wide vehicle lanes, a 6 foot 10 inch median and barrier and two 8 foot wide shoulders. The steel used for construction of this bridge is known as COR-TEN B and is known as a weathering steel that creates a lasting rust surface that eliminates the need for painting. The chemical makeup of this steel also increases it ability to resist corrosion. Getting to the bottom of the New River and below the bridge can be done by driving down a very steep roadway that allows for two way traffic but a majority of the road is so narrow that the passing of two vehicles is all but impossible. Nice, and at times and exciting, drive to take as the view of the bridge from the river water level is quite impressive.
Uploaded
July 21st, 2019
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