Donate

Wheeling Suspension Bridge

General Information

Structure:	original configuration: Suspension bridge current configuration: Suspension bridge with cable-stays
Function / usage:	Road bridge
Material:	Iron bridge

Location:	Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, USA
Crosses:	Ohio River
Coordinates:	40° 4' 13.00" N 80° 43' 36.00" W

Show coordinates on a map

deck	wrought iron
towers	masonry

17 May 1854	In a strong wind that blows during most of the day, the bridge deck begins to oscillate, which the local inhabitants seem to like to experience. However in the afternoon the deck is suddenly completely overturned, ripping most of the suspension cables out of their anchorages.
26 July 1854	After salvaging the wreckage Charles Elliot and Captain McComas inaugurate a reconstructed 14-foot-wide temporary bridge despite an injuction by the Supreme Court barring any effort to that effect.
1865	Joseph Lawson is appointed superintendent of the bridge. He holds this position until his death in December of 1923.
1872	Wilhelm Hildenbrand redesigns the bridge adding cable-stays to strengthen the structure and replacing the deck.

Initial construction (1847-1849)

Design

Reconfiguration (1874)

Design

Reconstruction (1859)

Engineering

Cortright, Robert S. (2003): Bridging the World. Bridge Ink, Wilsonville (USA).
Kemp, Emory L. / Spyrakos, Constantine C. / Venkatareddy, Ramesh (1999): Validated Analysis of Wheeling Suspension Bridge. In: Journal of Bridge Engineering (ASCE), v. 4, n. 1 (February 1999), pp. 1-7.
Prade, Marcel (1990): Les grands ponts du monde: Hors d'Europe. Brissaud, Poitiers (France), pp. 110.
Ellet Jr., Charles (1848): Report on a rail-way suspension bridge across the Connecticut, at Middletown. J.C. Clark, printer, Philadelphia (USA), pp. 62.
Wheels of change. In: Bridge Design & Engineering, v. 5, n. 14 (1st Quarter 1999), pp. 36-37.