Did you know that there is a coast-to-coast highway that passes through West Virginia? It’s called the National All Trails Road (because it joins the National Road and the Sante Fe Trail), and the portion in West Virginia dates back over 200 years, providing us a rich connection to our history and our fellow Americans.

In the early 1800s, as America emerged from its infancy, restless settlers itched to explore westward. It was during this era that the National Road came to be - the first major interstate thoroughfare for westward-bound pioneers, and the first highway funded by the federal government.
Ben_Theretoo406/Tripadvisor
From its starting point in Cumberland, Maryland, the National Road (also called the Cumberland Road) crossed the Appalachian Mountains to the Ohio River and continued across the plains to Vandalia, Illinois. Today, US Route 40 closely follows its path. The path of the National Road cuts across the northern panhandle of West Virginia and through the city of Wheeling. Several landmarks along the route commemorate its storied history:
At the Little Wheeling Creek, the National Road is carried by the Elm Grove stone arch bridge - the oldest bridge in the state, built in 1817 and still in service on US Route 40.
Bwsmith84/Wikipedia
In the tiny town of Roney's Point, a 19th-century tavern that once served National Road travelers is still standing.
Bwsmith84/Wikipedia
The 92-year-old Madonna of the Trail statue in Wheeling (one of 12 such monuments along the National Old Trails Road) memorializes the spirit of the pioneer women who traveled this road to the frontier.
Brorson/Wikipedia

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Additionally, historic West Virginia mile markers 8 through 14 date back to the 1830s, informing travelers on the National Road of the distance west to Wheeling and east to Cumberland, Maryland.
Bwsmith84/Wikipedia
Wheeling, West Virginia marks the historic spot where the eastern section of the National Road ended at the Ohio River. This original section of the road was completed in 1818. In 1820, work began on the other side of the river to the west, extending the National Road into Ohio and beyond.
Wikimedia
But for many years, ferries shuttled passengers and cargo across the Ohio River between the two sections of the road.
Finally, in 1849, the iconic Wheeling Suspension Bridge was completed to span the Ohio River.
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At the time of its completion, the Wheeling Suspension Bridge was not only the first bridge to cross a major river west of the Appalachians, but its main span of 1,010 feet was the world's longest bridge span. Though the deck was destroyed during a windstorm in 1856, the bridge went on to survive the Civil War and many decades of heavy use.
Then in the early 1900s, the National Old Trails Road was formed, connecting the National Road with the Sante Fe Trail in the Western United States to form a cross country highway that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean in New York to the Pacific Ocean in California.
Wikipedia
You can still drive this 3,000+-mile stretch from coast to coast, passing right through West Virginia as you do.
Today, it remains the oldest vehicular suspension bridge in use, although it no longer carries the traffic of the major routes I-70 and US 40.
miorahga/Tripadvisor
In late 2019, the bridge was closed except to foot and bicycle traffic due to repeated violations of the height and weight limits by drivers. Yet it is a testament to its original engineering that the bridge which at the time of its construction was designed for only single horse-drawn carriages can still carry modern vehicle traffic if needed 170 years later.

Driving the National Road or walking the Wheeling Extension Bridge today, it’s hard to imagine the time when covered wagons traveled this path en route to the western frontier. It’s also hard to picture, looking westward, that this road runs all the way to the Pacific Ocean. What a privilege to have this connection to the brave pioneers who have gone before us and to the fellow Americans who stand beside us, from sea to shining sea.

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National Road, National Rd, Wheeling, WV, USA