Rating:
3 votes

C&O Bridge

Kanawha County, West Virginia

Photos 

Photo taken by Ben Tate in May 2012

BH Photo #242468

Map 

Street Views 

Facts 

Overview
Parker through truss bridge over Kanawha River on CSX Railroad (Formerly Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad)
Location
Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia
Status
Intact but closed to all traffic
Future prospects
City is looking to use it for rail to trail.
History
Built 1907; Single-lane road added 1920
Builder
- American Bridge Co. of New York
Railroads
- Charleston Interurban Railroad (CIRR)
- Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O; CO)
- Interurban
- Kanawha Bridge & Terminal Co.
Design
Pennsylvania through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 424.0 ft.
Total length: 4,291.0 ft. (0.8 mi.)
Also called
C&O - Kanawha River Bridge (Charleston)
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.36263, -81.66207   (decimal degrees)
38°21'45" N, 81°39'43" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/442158/4246258 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Charleston West
Inventory number
BH 54366 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

American Bridge Co. (1,681)
Bridgemapper.com (1,325)
Built 1907 (754)
Built during 1900s (7,733)
Charleston Interurban Railroad (2)
Charleston, West Virginia (21)
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (223)
Closed (2,765)
Curved (506)
Deck girder (6,397)
Girder (11,343)
Have street view (29,821)
Interurban (1,023)
Kanawha Bridge & Terminal Co. (1)
Kanawha County, West Virginia (69)
 Kanawha River (18)
One-lane traffic (7,988)
Pennsylvania truss (590)
Pin-connected (5,027)
Plate girder (8,874)
Pratt through truss (6,219)
Pratt truss (10,523)
Rail-and-Road (400)
Railroad (16,664)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,283)
Through truss (17,764)
Toll (177)
Total length over 2500 feet (966)
Truss (36,654)
West Virginia (1,600)

Update Log 

  • March 9, 2022: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • January 8, 2022: New photos from Mark Boettcher
  • February 22, 2020: Updated by Luke: Merged postcard from George Chambers proving the existence of the road spans
  • December 3, 2019: New photo from Jack Schmidt
  • October 20, 2017: Updated by Luke: Noted that the bridge had a one-ane roadway
  • September 14, 2017: Updated by Luke: Added builder & old railroad info
  • June 19, 2016: New photos from Royce and Bobette Haley
  • November 9, 2012: New photos from Ben Tate
  • November 9, 2012: Updated by Matt Lohry: Corrected main span type--this is a Pennsylvania through truss.
  • November 8, 2012: Updated by J.P.: Added categories "Pin-connected", "Kanawha River", "Railroad", "Chesapeake & Ohio Railway", "CSX Railroad", "Steel trestle", "Curved"

Sources 

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Comments 

C&O Bridge
Posted February 22, 2020, by George Chambers (gchambers3 [at] gmail [dot] com)

There was a car bridge on the side of it built around 1920.

CSX - Kanawha River Bridge (Charleston)
Posted September 14, 2017, by Jason Rhodhouse (Rhodes130 [at] aol [dot] com)

Actual name of the bridge is the Kanawha Bridge and Terminal Company as per the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Kanawha Subdivision Side track Record and Charts PGs 74-75. The Bridge was purchased by the C&O around 1922 to 25, and one can still read the C&O lettering on the bridge above Kanawha Boulevard, on a good day. Last trains to cross the bridge would have been in the late 80s.

Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Charleston Bridge
Posted November 9, 2012, by Matt Lohry

J.P.,

Looks like we have a Pennsylvania truss here--same complexity as a Baltimore, but with curved upper chord. Parkers are the same configuration as basic Pratts, but with curved upper chord. Camelbacks are Parkers with upper chords that have only 3 sides (not including end posts).

Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Charleston Bridge
Posted November 8, 2012, by J.P. (wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com)

Not sure if I got the main span design right on this bridge. I believe its a parker. But I have always had trouble with Baltimore, parkers, and camelbacks.