Admiral T. J. Lopez Bridge

The Admiral T. J. Lopez Bridge is a truss bridge crossing the Kanawha River at Chelyan, West Virginia, named for 4-star admiral Thomas J. Lopez. The Warren truss bridge cost $25.9 million to build, and was opened to traffic on June 30, 1997.

History
The current bridge replaced an earlier crossing known simply as the Chelyan Bridge. Initially a toll crossing constructed for the Midland Trail-James River Bridge Company in 1928-29, this bridge consisted of 17 riveted steel truss and girder spans with a total length of . The main span over the navigable channel was a  cantilever truss with  side spans. It was sold to the state of West Virginia in 1946 and, despite several rehabilitation projects over the years, continuing deterioration of the bridge required a load limit to be imposed. The bridge was documented by the West Virginia Division of Highways for the Historic American Engineering Record in 1993 prior to its replacement.

See also
List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in West Virginia

References

External links

Category:Historic American Engineering Record in West Virginia
Category:Former toll bridges in West Virginia
Category:Road bridges in West Virginia
Category:Buildings and structures in Kanawha County, West Virginia
Category:Warren truss bridges in the United States