Bridges and Tunnels
Menu
  • Locations
  • Journal
  • About
Menu

Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge

The Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge is an abandoned railroad crossing over the Levisa Fork in Pike County, Kentucky.


The Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge was erected by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Company in 1894 and originally crossed over the mouth of the Big Sandy River between Kenova, West Virginia, and Catlettsburg, Kentucky along the mainline of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O). 1 The bridge proved insufficient to carry the C&O’s Allegheny class locomotives because of the articulation and weight, and the Big Sandy River crossing was reconstructed beginning in 1943 when the main spans over the river were replaced with Warren through truss spans fabricated by the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company of Roanoke, Virginia. 2

The original c. 1894 truss spans were relocated to serve the newly christened C&O Levisa Subdivision in Pike County. 3 It consisted of a 158-foot Parker through truss, two 219-foot Pratt camelback through trusses, and an 80-foot plate girder. The plate girder span, which had been fabricated in 1922, was replaced around 2011.

The Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge remained in use until 2017 when the last coal loadout closed. The tracks were removed in 2021.

Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge
Levisa Fork Railroad Bridge

Information

  • State: Kentucky, West Virginia
  • Route: Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad
  • Type: Parker Through Truss, Pennsylvania Through Truss
  • Status: Abandoned / Closed
  • Main Span Length: 219 feet
  • Spans:


Sources

  1. Young, Everett N. “The Big Sandy Subdivision.” Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Newsletter, Oct. 1993, pp. 3-12.
  2. Holth, Nathan. “Big Sandy Junction Railroad Bridge.” Historic Bridges, 7 Jun. 2014.
  3. LaBreche, Dennis. “A History of the Levisa Subdivision.” Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Newsletter, Nov. 1983, pp. 10-13.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Recent Comments

  • Mark A. Miller, VP. Communications & Administration on Fresh Renovations for Wheeling
  • Coming Across a Rare Wood and Iron Truss Bridge — Bridges and Tunnels – The Bridgehunter's Chronicles on Coming Across a Rare Wood and Iron Truss Bridge
  • North America’s tallest bridge towers and pylons (Las torres y pilones de puentes más altos de América del Norte) | Panethos on Veterans Memorial Bridge
  • Fresh Renovations for Wheeling - Bridges and Tunnels on Wheeling Suspension Bridge
  • Fresh Renovations for Wheeling - Bridges and Tunnels on Fort Henry Bridge

Journal Categories

Journal Tags

abandoned (5) bridge (35) construction (2) covered (1) dam (1) Demolition (1) Illinois (2) Indiana (3) Kentucky (13) Maryland (1) Mississippi River (1) Missouri (1) Monongahela River (1) New York (1) Ohio (13) Ohio River (4) Pennsylvania (1) Rehabilitation (1) suspension (1) tunnel (4) Virginia (1) West Virginia (12)

Journal Archives

©2022 Bridges & Tunnels