Rating:
3 votes

Bluestone Lake Bridge

Summers County, West Virginia
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Photos 

Lilly Bridge

A view from the boat ramp under the bridge

Photo taken by Loyd Lowry

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Map 

Street View 

Description 

A 5-span cantilevered thru-truss supported by concrete abutments and 4 concrete piers. Span 3 and 4 fell in 1948 during construction, killing several workers. One of 7 remaining cantilever truss bridges in West Virginia.

View Uglybridges.com report

Facts 

Overview
Cantilever truss bridge over Bluestone Lake on WV 20
Location
Summers County, West Virginia
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1950
Builder
- Virginia Bridge Co. of Roanoke, Virginia
Design
Riveted Cantilever through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 277.9 ft.
Total length: 1,163.9 ft.
Deck width: 24.0 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.1 ft.
Also called
Lilly Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+37.61153, -80.91765   (decimal degrees)
37°36'42" N, 80°55'04" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/507268/4162718 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Pipestem
Inventory number
BH 35582 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection (as of 07/2011)
Deck condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Appraisal: Structurally deficient
Sufficiency rating: 34.4 (out of 100)
Average daily traffic (as of 2009)
2,500

Categories 

Built 1950 (385)
Built during 1950s (2,383)
Cantilevered (242)
Cantilevered truss (222)
Functionally obsolete (7,040)
Have street view (9,908)
Open (28,319)
Owned by state (9,811)
 Span length 250-500 feet (863)
Summers County, West Virginia (6)
Through truss (9,211)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,217)
Truss (23,575)
Virginia Bridge Co. (28)
WV 20 (15)
West Virginia (982)

Update Log 

  • October 10, 2012: Photo imported by Ben Tate
  • January 22, 2012: New photos from Loyd Lowry
  • January 18, 2012: Updated by Loyd Lowry: additional details
  • January 15, 2012: New photo from Loyd Lowry
  • March 17, 2010: Updated by Nathan Holth: This is a cantilever.

Sources 

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Comments 

Bluestone Lake Bridge
Posted January 17, 2012, by Todd D. Walker (mrwalk11 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Yea, it is true. The phones are ringing off the hook at the controlled demolition contractors. There is not a recession for demo boys EH!!!!!

Bluestone Lake Bridge
Posted January 17, 2012, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

Its a historic cantilever truss bridge in the United States. Of course they want blow up and replace with slab of concrete. Soon, a passport or enhanced drivers license will be required to see a historic cantilever truss because the way things are going, pretty soon you will have to go to Canada if you want to see a historic cantilever truss.

Bluestone Lake Bridge
Posted January 17, 2012, by Todd D. Walker (mrwalk11 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

I read an article online on the WVADOT saying this bridge is in the works to be replaced. Another UCEB coming, especially to a scenic area where it will blight it up for nature lovers, artists, and photographers. Unless West Virginia replaces it with another truss or "signature" type span instead, look for the lastest of the trend of "UGLY"!

Bluestone Lake Bridge
Posted January 16, 2012, by Todd D. Walker (mrwalk11 [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Rebecca, the bridge is called the "Lilly Bridge" because it is built across the Bluestone Lake over or near the site of an inundated town called "Lilly". I am not sure but the lake was created after the bridge was opened, noting when the town of its namesake was flooded over.

Bluestone Lake Bridge
Posted September 12, 2009, by Rebecca Ward (erbky1318 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Would like to know when this bridge was renamed th Lilly Bridge.