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10 Interesting Facts About The New River Gorge Bridge

A West Virginia Landmark

On October 22nd, 1977, after three years of construction, the New River Gorge Bridge opened. The bridge took 37 million dollars to complete and contains upwards of 22,000 tons of structural steel. The bridge has served as one of the most successful tourism spots in the state and is revered as one of the world’s most marvelous feet of engineering! Below is a list of 10 facts you might not know about this breathtaking structure!

  1. The New River Gorge Bridge is featured on the West Virginia State Quarter.
  2. It is the 13th highest bridge in the world.
  3. Tourists and locals flock to the bridge on the 3rd Saturday of every October to celebrate Bridge Day!
  4. It is the 2nd highest vehicle carrying bridge in the state.
  5. The bridge is also on a popular United States postal stamp.
  6. It is the longest single arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
  7. The National Register of Historic Places has the bridge listed as a significant historic resource.
  8. There were two abandon mine shafts just above the bridge’s foundation on both sides.
  9. The bridge is featured in the West Virginia set post apocalyptic video game, Fallout 76 released from Bethesda Studios in November of 2018.
  10. The first person to base jump off the bridge was Burton Ervin from Cowen, West Virginia in 1979.

Sample gameplay image from Fallout 76 by Bethesda Studios

Visit our Little General location at 35 Davis Street, Fayetteville, West Virginia 25840 to stock up on refreshments and fuel for your drive across one of the wonders of West Virginia!

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