The Ravenswood (William S. Ritchie Jr.) Bridge carries U.S. Route 33 over the Ohio River between Meigs County, Ohio, and Ravenswood, West Virginia.
The Ravenswood Bridge, also known as the William S. Ritchie Jr. Bridge, is a two-lane bridge that carries U.S. Route 33 over the Ohio River between Meigs County, Ohio, and Ravenswood, West Virginia.
History
The first crossing at this location was a ferry that operated between Water Street in Ravenswood and Lebanon Township, Ohio, beginning in 1908. 3
The Ravenswood Bridge was completed in 1981 and was designated Ohio State Route 824 and West Virginia State Route 338, connecting West Virginia State Route 2 to Ohio State Route 338. It was redesignated as U.S. Route 33 in 2003 when a two-lane expressway was completed in Meigs County.
In 2025, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) began conducting a feasibility study on the bridge’s future. 4 The goal is to replace the bridge with a four-lane structure or build a parallel two-lane structure as part of a series of projects along the U.S. Route 33 corridor between Columbus and the Ohio River to improve safety and efficiency. Ohio’s Freight Plan places the U.S. Route 33 corridor in the highest category of truck traffic growth, with more than 500 additional trucks per day for 2045. Related projects include converting the last 25.6 miles of two-lane highway to four lanes.
Two alternatives involve removing the existing bridge and building a new four-lane span, while a third alternative involves building a parallel two-lane companion span. 4
The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) will replace the bridge deck in 2026. 1 The project will involve replacing the deck on span 8 with a cast-in-place reinforced lightweight concrete deck, and placing a new deck overlay on the remaining spans, cleaning and painting, repair to concrete parapets, repairing the deck drainagfe, replacing expansion and relief joints, and electrical repairs.
Gallery
Details
- State: Ohio, West Virginia
- Route: U.S. Route 33
- Status: Active (Automobile)
- Type: Warren Through Truss
- Total Length: 2709'
- Main Span Length: 902'
- Spans: 150', 150', 151', 151', 150', 152', 411', 902', 410', 82'
- Deck Width: 34'
- Roadway Width: 32'
- Above Vertical Clearance: 16' 10"
- Navigational Clearance: 70' 45"
Sources
- Carter, Michael. “Construction Contract Proposal.” West Virginia Division of Highways, 13 Aug. 2025.
- “Plans for Construction of State Highway.” West Virginia Department of Highways, 23 Nov. 1976.
- Ohio Division of Highways. Map of Ohio Showing State Routes (MrSID). Cartography by G.F. Schlesinger, Director, 1925. Map.
- “Ravenswood Bridge Feasibility Study.” Ohio Department of Transportation.