Fort Henry Bridge
(Ninth Street Bridge)
NBI Information
Location
State: West Virginia
County: Ohio County
Feature Carried: I-70 Eastbound and I-70 Westbound
Feature Crossed: Ohio River and North Front Street
Latitude, Longitude: 40.0720,-80.7269
Toll: On free road
Maintenance Responsibility: State Highway Agency
Structure Open, Posted, or Closed to Traffic: Open, no restriction
History
Year Built: 1955
Historical Significance: Bridge is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
Year Reconstructed: 1990
Picture Date: January 2, 2023
Geometry
Lanes on Structure: 4
Lanes under Structure: 2
Skew: 0 degrees
Number of Main Spans: 1
Main Structure Type: Arch - Thru
Main Structure Material: Steel continuous
Number of Approach Spans: 9
Approach Structure Type: Steel continuous
Approach Structure Material: None
Condition
Inspection Date: November 2022
Deck Condition: Satisfactory
Superstructure Condition: Fair
Substructure Condition: Satisfactory
Channel Condition: Very Good
Culvert: Not Applicable
NBI Year: 2023
Bridge Information
The Fort Henry Bridge, also called the Ninth Street Bridge, carries I-70, U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 250 over the Ohio River. This bridge is a tied through arch, and was completed in 1955. At the time of completion, the bridge was only the second tied arch over the Ohio River. This bridge is the only link from Wheeling Island to downtown Wheeling (the Wheeling Suspension Bridge is closed to traffic indefinitely), and is a rare example of a bridge on an Interstate Highway that has been deemed historically significant enough to be protected.
The bridge underwent major renovations in 1990, including replacement of the bridge deck. It was renovated again in 2022, which included steel and concrete repairs. The bridge was also repainted, giving it a new blue color, instead of its previous green.
References
Historic Bridges: https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=wvirginia/forthenry/
Ohio County Public Library: https://www.ohiocountylibrary.org/history/3266
Bridges and Tunnels: http://bridgestunnels.com/location/fort-henry-bridge/
