East End Bridge (Huntington)

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name= East Huntington Bridge


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also_known_as= East End Bridge, 31st St Bridge, Frank Gatski Memorial Bridge
carries= 2 lanes of WV 106 / OH 607
crosses= Ohio River
locale= Huntington, West Virginia and Proctorville, Ohio
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design= Cable-stayed bridge
mainspan= 274.32 meters
length=
width= 12.20 meters
clearance=
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traffic=
open= August 1985
closed=
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The East Huntington Bridge (also called the East End Bridge, Frank Gatski Memorial Bridge or the 31st Street Bridge) is a 900 foot cable-stayed bridge crossing the Ohio River at Huntington, West Virginia. It carries WV 106 on the West Virginia approach and OH 607 on the Ohio approach. The latter also carries the route for one mile (1.6 km) before terminating at a stub which will later connect to OH 7.

History

The history of the span dates to the early 1970s when possible routings for a future Ohio River span were being discussed. To conform to the Huntington city comprehensive plan, the alignment preferred by the city was one that connected to Interstate 64 outside of the city boundaries. Many favored a plan about one mile north of the city along WV 2.

Work began on the bridge in 1983 and was completed in August 1985 at a cost of $38 million. The designer of the bridge was Arvid Grant and Associated of Olympia, Washington and was the first bridge of its type in West Virginia. It was only the second of its kind in the United States since it utilized concrete instead of steel for its construction. It was built as a FHWA demonstration project.

The Ohio River span and approach ramps on both sides of the river completed was what was known as Phase I. Future plans involved tolling the bridge and connecting it to U.S. Highway 60 four blocks east [East Huntington Bridge. Rendering. 1971. West Virginia Department of Highways.]

The bridge was renamed for Marshall University's first member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,
Frank "Gunner" Gatski, during halftime of the Marshall-UTEP Football game on November 18, 2006 ["Frank ‘Gunner’ Gatski Memorial Bridge to be dedicated at UTEP-Marshall game." 17 Nov. 2006. Herald-Dispatch [Huntington] . 04 Dec. 2006 [http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200661117011] .] .

Gallery

ee also

*List of crossings of the Ohio River

External links

* [http://www.bridgestunnels.com/index.php?catid=20&photos=0 East End Bridge at Bridges & Tunnels] .

References

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Ohio River
bridge = Frank Gatski Memorial Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Silver Memorial Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Robert C. Byrd Bridge
downstream signs =