The New River Gorge Bridge is one of the most iconic and photographed places in the Mountain State. But how much do you really know about this engineering wonder? Check out these facts to brush up on your knowledge and maybe even win future trivia games!
1. The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest single-arch bridge in the western hemisphere and the third-longest single-arch bridge in the world. It measures 3,030 feet long.
2. At a height of 876 feet, the bridge is second-highest vehicle carrying bridge in the United States and the fifth-highest vehicle carrying bridge in the world.
3. The bridge is taller than the Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument, and the Seattle Space Needle.
4. All of the structural steel in the bridge is COR-TEN steel. It oxidizes with age. The oxidation is a natural protectant so the bridge never has to be repainted.
5. The weight of the steel and the concrete used in construction is equal at 44,000,000 lbs. each.
6. The final cost of the New River Gorge Bridge was $37,000,000.
7. The bridge is such an icon in the Mountain State that it is featured on the West Virginia State quarter and on a U.S. postage stamp.
8. The steel and concrete span is crossed by an average of 16,200 vehicles each day.
9. The construction of the bridge cut the travel time from one side of the gorge to the other from about 45 minutes to less than a minute.
10. The bridge took three years to construct and opened on October 22, 1977.
11. In 2013, the New River Gorge Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places even though it was only 36 years old.
12. A two-foot wide steel catwalk runs the length of the bridge under the roadway. It is open for guided Bridge Walk tours.
If you're feeling brave, you may want to take the Bridge Walk yourself. The views are unparalleled and the bragging rights indisputable. To learn more about this stomach-dropping adventure, click here.
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