A Visit to the New River Valley Gorge Bridge, West Virginia


Dear Henry,

We recently went on a road trip to see the New River Valley Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. Let me tell you all about it.

At 53 miles long and 1,000 feet deep, the New River Valley Gorge is the longest and deepest gorge in the Appalachian Mountains. Its name, "New," is somewhat of a misnomer, as this is one of the oldest rivers on the North American continent, and no one is really sure where the name came from.  Some sources say it is a translation of the Native American name for the river, and other sources say that as Euro-American settlers moved west, they noted this river as "new" every time they came across it. 

Historically, this was part of coal mining territory. However, after the bridge was built and a National Preserve was created, the area also began to see an increase in whitewater rafting and other outdoor recreation. 


Construction began on the bridge in 1974. It was designed by Michael Baker Jr. and consists of a single arch that spans 3,030 feet. The construction of the bridge required 3,800 tons of steel and 23,000 cubic feet of concrete. The finished bridge weighs in at 88 million pounds. Construction was completed, and the bridge opened on October 22, 1977. The bridge has become the symbol of West Virginia and is featured on the state quarter. It is the longest single-span bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the third-highest bridge in the U.S.  

The bridge is closed to pedestrian traffic, with the exception of the annual bridge day, which occurs yearly on the third Saturday of October. On that day, base jumping is also allowed.

The bridge was a boon for the towns of Fayetteville and Lansing. While the two towns are only 3.5 miles apart, as the crow flies, before the bridge's construction, it would take nearly 40 minutes to commute between them, as one had to descend into the canyon, cross the river, and then climb up the other side. 


The National Park Service has a visitor's center on the Lansing side, complete with an overlook, that explains the history and construction of the bridge. We hiked around that before taking the guided driving tour down the side of the mountain and through the area's mining history, before splashing around in the New River on the other side.   

However, it is important to note that mining activity is still prevalent in this area, and active railways run through the gorge.  It is important to pay attention and not to stand idle on any of the rails in the area.

This was a great historical field trip, and it included quite a few breathtaking views. It is an easy drive from the Roanoke area and best of all, it's free!

Check out the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/yBbBzuFIsBg

xoxo a.d. elliott


****************************************

a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller currently living in Salem, Virginia. 

In addition to the travel writings at www.takethebackroads.com, you can also read her book reviews at www.riteoffancy.com and US military biographies at www.everydaypatriot.com

Her online photography gallery can be found at shop.takethebackroads.com

#TaketheBackRoads

Like my page? Please consider supporting my work by visiting my sponsors, my webshop, or by buying me a cup of coffee!




 

Location: New River Valley, VA, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Basilicas, Books, & Bringing Home the Bacon

Image
Dear Henry, Wow, it's been a while. Let's catch up. I've been so busy! Several months ago, I took a part-time job at a local bookstore to get out of the house and out of my head (plus, you know, the discount). I had just begun adjusting to the physical demands of retail work when the Christmas shopping season (and working hours) began. I'm not quite sure if it's because of "the accident" or because I'm a pudgy middle-aged woman, but wow, I've been exhausted. So, I put everything on hold and dedicated myself to reading the entire 14-book Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan ( read his Everyday Patriot biography here ). I've been keeping my feet up when I wasn't at work, and I'm just now getting used to the job. This season of holiday hours has helped me feel better about my Camino plans. I've always worried that it would be too challenging, but I now know I can spend six to eight hours a day on my feet, multiple days in a row.  Now,
Read more

The Bucket List Book Adventure: Book 15 - Histories

Image
Dear Henry, It's been a while, but I've finally gotten back to the bucket list book adventure  and have finished "Histories" by Herodotus. Hair- odd- uh-tus.....hair-odd-uh-tus.....It's taken me a month to learn how to pronounce his name, and I still say it wrong half of the time. Anyway, let me tell you all about the Histories. Herodotus, the "Father Of History," is somewhat of a mystery. He was believed to be born around 484 BC in the vicinity of the ancient Greek city of Halicarnassus, today known as Bodrum, Turkey. Maybe. There are a lot of question marks.  His life has a lot more question marks. Herodotus traveled extensively throughout the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and North Africa and was believed to be in Athens at the beginning of the Peloponnesian War. And, of course, his death is also big of a mystery. It is estimated to have occurred between 430 and 420 BC, and he probably rests in Thurii, Italy, having left Athens around 430 BC for the
Read more

The Resurrection of the Old Lick Cemetery In Roanoke Virginia

Image
Dear Henry, I have always felt a strong call to "pray for the dead," even as a child.  My grandmother was an avid genealogist (I inherited this love from her), and I used to accompany her to various old graveyards, where she transcribed and photographed old headstones. I would spend my time trying to scrape overgrown grass and weeds from the headstones, having developed the strange belief that they couldn't go to heaven if you couldn't read the name on a tombstone. It always made me so sad to see unkept headstones. While I've (somewhat) grown out of the belief that an unmarked grave condemns people to walk the earth as ghosts, the image of Patroclus, in Madeline Miller's book The Song of Achilles ( review here ), wandering the world as a shadow because no one would write his name down made me cry. I was also very sad to see this poor, unkept little cemetery right as I pulled off Interstate 581. One of my first thoughts entering the city of Roanoke for the firs
Read more