The Williamstown Bridge crosses over the Ohio River between Williamstown, West Virginia to Marietta, Ohio.
The first fixed crossing to connect Williamstown and Marietta was constructed in 1903. 1 It was the first inland cantilever highway span in the United States. The bridge was later designated for US Route 21 until 1971 when the route designation was decommissioned north of Charleston, West Virginia. The designation was replaced by WV Route 31 and OH Route 60.
The Williamstown Bridge was imploded in a controlled demolition on February 24, 1988, and a new crossing, the longest continuous truss in North America, opened in its place in 1992. 2 While the river piers were reused, the Marietta approach was relocated to a new connection with OH Route 7.
Information
- State: Ohio, West Virginia
- Route: WV Route 21
- Type: Warren through truss
- Status: Active - Automobile
- Total Length: 2,615 feet
- Main Span Length: 651 feet
- Spans:
- Deck Width: 58 feet
- Above Vertical Clearance: 20 feet
- Navigational Clearance:
Sources
- “Williamstown-Marrietta Bridge,HAER WV-40.″ Historic American Engineering Record.
- “District 3 Bridge Department.” West Virginia Division of Highways.