Jennings Randolph Bridge

40°37′09″N 80°33′42″W / 40.6193°N 80.5617°W / 40.6193; -80.5617Carries4 lanes of US 30CrossesOhio RiverLocaleEast Liverpool, Ohio and Chester, West VirginiaNamed forJennings RandolphOwnerWest Virginia Department of TransportationCharacteristicsDesignContinuous Truss BridgeLongest span745 feet (227 m)HistoryConstruction end1977ReplacesChester BridgeLocation

The Jennings Randolph Bridge, built in 1977, is the largest Pratt truss bridge in North America. It spans ~3,400 feet (1,000 m) over the Ohio River between Chester, West Virginia and East Liverpool, Ohio, with main span of 745 feet (227 m). The bridge is located on U.S. Route 30 and is named after U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph (D-WV). It replaced the 1897 Chester Bridge.^[1]

On December 11, 2023, the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) closed the bridge after a federally mandated inspection discovered cracking in two welds on the steel bridge structure. In the end, 20 defects were found the T-1 steel that used to build the bridge. The bridge was reopened on January 8, 2024.^[2]

References

40°37′9.5″N 80°33′42.0″W / 40.619306°N 80.561667°W / 40.619306; -80.561667

• List of crossings of the Ohio River