Bellaire Bridge
| Bellaire Bridge | |
| Interstate Bridge | |
| Cantilever truss bridge | |
 West Virginia side of Bellaire Bridge in October 2011
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| Official name: Bellaire Bridge | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| States | Ohio, West Virginia |
| Counties | Belmont, Marshall |
| Municipalities | Bellaire, Ohio, Benwood, West Virginia |
| Crosses | Ohio River |
| Coordinates | 40°0′54.15″N 80°44′20.15″W / 40.0150417°N 80.7389306°WCoordinates: 40°0′54.15″N 80°44′20.15″W / 40.0150417°N 80.7389306°W |
| Length | 2,770 ft (844 m) |
| Height | 350 ft (107 m) |
| Builders | J. E. Greiner and Company (engineering), Mount Vernon Bridge Company (superstructure), J. E. Moss Iron Works (superstructure), R. R. Kitchen Company (deck), Vang Construction Company (substructure) |
| Design | Cantilever truss |
| Material | Steel |
| Built | 1926 |
| - Closed | 1991 |
| Owned by | KDC Investments |
 Location of the Bellaire Bridge in Ohio
Location of the Bellaire Bridge in Ohio
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The Bellaire Bridge or Interstate Bridge is a privately owned, closed cantilever truss toll bridge that spans the Ohio River between Benwood, West Virginia (near Wheeling) and Bellaire, Ohio (near Martins Ferry). It provided a link for commuters between southern Ohio border towns and West Virginia steel mills from 1926 to 1991.
The overall length of the bridge is 2,770 feet (840 m), including the approach of 850 feet (260 m) on the West Virginia side and 670 feet (200 m) on the Ohio side of the river. The highest point in the bridge is 350 feet (110 m) above the water line.
Built in 1926, the bridge is likely the oldest cantilever truss bridge in West Virginia, and is the second oldest vehicular truss bridge over the entire Ohio River. It is currently unused, and missing approach spans on the Ohio side. As of April 2015[update], the bridge remains standing, but is scheduled to be demolished.
The bridge was designed as a cantilever truss bridge by J. E. Greiner and Company, with the Vang Construction Company as contractors of the substructure; the J.E. Moss Iron Works and the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company as co-contractors of the superstructure. The R. R. Kitchen company of Wheeling had charge of placing the floor in the bridge.
The bridge was constructed over 18 months starting in June 1925 at a cost of about $1.5 million, which is equivalent to $20.3 million in present-day terms. Funds were raised primarily through subscription by local residents. During construction, hundreds worked on the bridge, and one worker was killed: Fred Morning fell from a pier on the Benwood, West Virginia side to the ground below on June 12, 1926.
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