When guests of Adventures on the Gorge (AOTG) take their first few nervous steps along the mile-long, 24-inch-wide catwalk beneath the New River Gorge Bridge, they are probably thinking more about the harnesses connecting them to the bridge than enjoying the bird’s-eye views of the New River Gorge and rushing rapids below.
By the time they complete the guided walk to the other side, however, trepidation has been often replaced by pride, as travelers realize that they just took a walk through history. Opened Oct. 22, 1977, the New River Gorge Bridge has strengthened local economies and transformed the rugged region of Southern West Virginia into an easily accessible and highly sought-after outdoor adventure mecca for rafters, climbers, hikers and other recreation enthusiasts.
Construction
Construction of the continuous-span, 876-foot high arch truss bridge took three years. The bridge was designed by the Michael Baker Company of Coraopolis, Pa. and constructed by the American Bridge Division of U.S. Steel. Cables were strung 3,500 feet between two matching towers, and steel was positioned over the gorge by trolleys running on cables. The bridge is constructed of Cor-ten steel, which never needs painting and gives the bridge a rust-like appearance.
The roadway of the bridge – U.S. Route 19/ Corridor L – was constructed with an 8¼ inch thick reinforced slab. Inspection and maintenance walkways were situated at the bridge’s expansion joints to allow workers easy access. The catwalk beneath the bridge was converted to a tourist attraction in 2009 as a cooperative effort between private business leaders including AOTG, the National Park Service and the West Virginia Division of Highways.
Construction of the bridge coincided with the emerging popularity of whitewater rafting on the New River, and several young rafting outfitters had a front-row seat as they watched the bridge construction from rafts. Dave Arnold, co-founder of Class VI, an original rafting company, and co-founder of Adventures on the Gorge, was among them. He recalls watching the progress as he guided rafting guests through the rapids directly beneath the bridge and the huge nets strung under the construction to catch debris before it hit the river.
“Every time we rafted beneath the bridge we were aware that the huge steel bolts and other debris could slip through the nets and hit the river, and we were always cautious and wary as we traveled beneath the bridge,” said Arnold, vice president of public relations and strategic partnerships for AOTG. “But we were also in awe as we watched the daily work on this massive structure. At the time, we didn’t fully realize how much of an impact a bridge would have on our lives and fortunes.”
Although he never attempted it, Arnold recalled a local a rite of passage was to sneak onto the construction site and jump into the nets. Although there was one construction-related death, no rafters or middle-of-the-night pranksters were injured during the three-year construction.
Tourism Opportunities
Upon completion, Arnold and his colleagues watched thousands of cars cross the bridge every day, and knew that meant they could draw much larger numbers of visitors for rafting and other adventures.
It didn’t take long for Southern West Virginia tourism to explode as increasing numbers of travelers from the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast found their way to the gorge.
“Our timing was perfect,” recalled Arnold. “Just as river rafters were forming their companies and stepping up their marketing, thousands of travelers were discovering the New River Gorge and the joys of river rafting.”
Tourism continues to thrive in the region. In 2008, Arnold and three other river rafting outfitters merged their companies to create Adventures on the Gorge, one of the top adventure resorts in the country. In the last decade, the group has added cabins and campsites, zip lines, restaurants and other adventures and attractions.
Local Benefit
By reducing the drive time from one side of the gorge to the other from 45 minutes to one minute, the bridge also positively impacted the daily lives and of residents of the regions. To the east of the river, residents of the town of Lansing and the hollows throughout the mountains led rural, somewhat secluded lives while those in Fayetteville to the west experienced more of a suburban lifestyle, with easy access to stores, schools, churches and other facilities.
Pre-bridge, travelers had to maneuver vehicles along narrow, often one-lane roads with blind curves, frequent potholes and unpredictable obstacles. One guide who traveled the treacherous road daily called it a “four-cigarette” drive.
The bridge created a new, more cohesive cultural experience for everyone in the region, and the cultural change has profoundly benefitted residents and visitors alike, said Arnold.
Fast Facts
- The architecturally dazzling bridge is the most-recognizable and most-photographed attraction in the state of West Virginia.
- Construction occurred from 1974 to 1977.
- Construction of the bridge cost $37 million, nearly $150 million in today’s dollars.
- It is the highest steel arch bridge in the U.S. and the 13th-highest steel arch bridge in the world.
- The bridge is the second-highest vehicular bridge in the United States and fifth in the world.
- 88 million pounds of steel and concrete were used in construction, including 21,000 tons of structural steel, 1,700 tons of reinforcing steel, 17,000 cubic yards of substructure concrete and 6,000 cubic yards of superstructure concrete.
- It was the largest project ever coordinated by the West Virginia Department of Highways.
- The bridge is 3,030 feet long and 69.3 feet wide, with four lanes and a center divider.
- Nearly 38,000 adventurers have crossed the bridge on guided tours, ranging in age from eight to 95.
- The Bridge Walk has the longest continuous safety system in the world.
- The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bridge Day
One of the country’s biggest adventure festivals in the country is the annual the Bridge Day Weekend, an event that draws 100,000 spectators and nearly 200 experienced BASE (“Building, Antenna, Span and Earth”) jumpers, who leap from the bridge and parachute to the river below. The first Bridge Day occurred in 1980.
The event is always scheduled for the third Saturday in October, and this year is set for Oct. 20 – 22. The weekend kicks off with Taste of Bridge Day at Adventures on the Gorge, featuring cuisine samplings from local restaurants and caterers. The Bridge Jam Festival, a two-day music festival in downtown Fayetteville, also begins on Friday. The BASE-jumping event is on Saturday, Oct. 21. West Virginia governor Jim Justice and representatives from the Michael Baker Company will speak at 11 a.m.
Bridge Day contributes more than $1 million to the Southern West Virginia economy annually.
Last weekend of Gauley Season
Bridge Day coincides with the last weekend of Gauley Season, one of the best river-centric experiences in the world, especially during the fall season, when the river becomes what rafting enthusiasts call the “Beast of the East.” With 26 miles of Class III to Class V rapids – guaranteed by the Congressionally mandated opening of flood gates at the Summersville Dam – the Gauley River becomes the biggest whitewater in the world and draws enthusiasts from around the planet. In addition to Bridge Day packages with accommodations in one of the resort’s many cabins or luxury homes or tent-camping at one of two sites, AOTG offers a two-day Gauley River adventure including riverside camping and gourmet meals prepared by an expedition-trained chef.
