The Moundsville Bridge carries OH Route 872 and WV Route 2 Spur over the Ohio River between Belmont County, Ohio, and Moundsville, West Virginia. It is officially named the Arch A. Moore Bridge after former West Virginia governor Arch A. Moore, Jr.
Belmont County, Ohio, and Moundsville had been connected via a tolled ferry since 1951, but the continued growth of heavy industries on both sides of the river caused the service to be overburdened. 1 Planning for a fixed crossing began during the end of West Virginia Governor Arch Moore’s term as governor in the late 1970s, but work on the project went on hiatus because of a state moratorium on building projects at the time. 2
Planning for the bridge began again after West Virginia Governor Jay Rockefeller negotiated a shared funding agreement with the state of Ohio and the federal government. 2 Construction on the crossing was expected to be completed in 1980. By 1979, the Ohio access route, which included a new interchange with OH Route 7, was completed in 1979, but the bridge itself was not opened to traffic until August 15, 1986. 1 3
The completion of the Moundsville Bridge reduced traffic on the nearby tolled Bellaire Interstate Bridge by 50%, ultimately causing it to close to all traffic. 4
Information
- State: Ohio, West Virginia
- Route: OH Route 872, WV Route 2 Spur
- Type: Steel Arch
- Status: Active - Automobile
- Total Length: 912 feet
- Spans:
- Deck Width: 59 feet
Sources
- “Bridge to end ferry.” Bryan Times, 18 Aug. 1986, p. 11.
- Grimes, Richard. “Bridges, Dam, Museum Get OK.” Charleston Daily Mail, 29 Mar. 1977.
- “Technical Services Straight Line Diagrams – SR 872.” Ohio Department of Transportation.
- Harrison, Eric. “For Sale: 1 Toll Bridge In The Heart Of The ‘Rust Belt’.” Philadelphia Inquirer, 1 Mar. 1987, p. A19.