The closure in 1991 crushed two towns economically, and during the past 34 years since it’s been slated for reopening, dynamiting, for splashing into the Ohio River, and then for de-knuckling so the sections of the former Bellaire Toll Bridge could be gently lowered into floating barges below for scrapping.
None of that has taken place, though, and the span, once a cherished connection between Bellaire and Benwood, still stands. Most of it, anyway.
Winter’s annual freeze-and-thaws have loosened and left concrete chunks to fall from its 850-foot approach on the West Virginia side, and Benwood Police Chief Frank Longwell reported this past week on the River Network’s “Novotney Now” program that two large pieces of steel recently fell from the span and into a public parking lot sitting below.
“The debris fell into a parking lot from about 70 feet above. Those metal junks had to be close to 100 pounds each, and if they hit someone, they’re dead instantly,” testified the veteran peace officer. “It’s in horrible shape, and sooner than later, something really bad is going to happen. I wish people would realize that fact.
“The whole world knows about the Bellaire Toll Bridge. They know it closed almost 35 years ago, they know it’s dangerous, and they know this thing needs to come down,” he said. “It’s not the City of Benwood’s fault but it’s the City of Benwood’s problem, and that’s not fair.”
It cost a nickle to cross the bridge one way when it was opened in 1926, but tolls were increased as competition was erected to the north – the I-470 Veterans Memorial Bridge – and to the south – the Moundsville “Arch Moore” Bridge – and the decision to completely shutter the span was made 1991 to clear the way for the continued construction of the new, four-lane Ohio Route 7.
The original owner, the Interstate Bridge Company, was paid $2.1 million by the state of Ohio, the ramp that connected motorists to downtown Bellaire were removed, and the bypass eliminated easy access to “The All-American Town” for those traveling W.Va. Route 2.
The craziness that has followed, including a possible reopening, a congressional controversy, alleged investment scams, and unkept political promises, means nothing to Longwell these days.
He’s over all of it.
“That’s because we’re still stuck with it, so why care about the drama of the past,” the police chief explained. “Right now, we’re too busy hoping and praying for another opportunity, and we look for that answer every day.
“We won’t quit trying to figure out ways how we can get this thing down, and you know the City of Benwood would also participate in the costs and other services to make this happen,” Longwell said. “We’ve got school buses under that bridge, we’ve got city buses under that bridge, and there’s busy restaurant that operates very close to that bridge.
“Joggers and bicyclists are below it every day, and there’s a 12-inch gas line, a 12-inch water main, and old train tracks under that road. So, when I tell you it’s an unsafe situation, I mean it’s an unsafe situation.”
Quit the (Crap)!
Out of habit, when speaking about the Bellaire Bridge, Longwell finishes most statements with, “We just need to get that bridge down.”
It’s been that long, the span is that bad of shape, and Longwell says the private owners, KDC Investments, have abandoned the span and the situation.
“Right now, almost everyone has made money on that bridge except for the City of Benwood,” Longwell said. “I know KDC still owns the bridge, so they’re responsible for the removal, but if we get into a situation where condemning it is the best move, then we can condemn it and be a part of bringing it down.
“I’ve been around for 43 years and never did I think this bridge would still be standing. Never,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of crazy things, but I never thought this bridge would still be hanging around. Never in a million years.”
It’s not because dilapidated bridges spanning the Ohio River are not razed – the 1993 demolition of the Wheeling Terminal Bridge was funded by West Virginia tax dollars – and eroding superstructures like the former Aetnaville Bridge are on the state Division of Highways removal schedule. And, apparently, it’s not because it’s privately owned with liens because former West Virginia governor Jim Justice once promised Longwell more than a year ago that the state would bring the bridge down.
Finally.
“About a year ago, we were in real hot discussions with Jim Justice before he became a U.S. Senator, and I got the impression he really wanted to do something about this predicament when we had a meeting in Charleston with all of his people. But then it went away because his former (WVDOT Secretary) Jimmy Wriston went in a different direction.
“We had some reputable demolition people do an estimate for us, and they came up with the price of $3.9 million to take it down and remove it, and we estimated there’s probably a million dollars-worth of scrap from what’s left of the bridge,” he said. “We thought it was a done deal, but then Wriston sent people up and they came up with $12 million to remove it. I believe that was on purpose to make an excuse to do something else instead.”
That’s why the law enforcement officer, now serving his final term as Benwood’s elected police chief, was pleased when Wriston was relieved of his duties in January 2025.
“What a load he was,” he said. “I think he was the worst (DOT secretary) in history because of what he did here. We had blueprints and demolition plans ready for the job, and we had the waiver arranged with the Coast Guard to leave the pillars in the river because they were in great shape. But then ‘Mr. Jimmy’ nixed it all.
“He told me to my face it wasn’t going to happen because he had different plans for that money, and I suspect he had friends somewhere,” he said. “I thanked him for telling me because it saved me a lot of trips, but that all doesn’t change the fact that the bridge still needs to come down. The bridge is in horrible shape. It looks like it was near the area of Iran when the President bombed their nuclear plants.”
Inevitable Inflation
The price goes up. It always goes up.
Especially in the world of building – and demolishing – bridges, including the Bellaire Toll’s rusty cantilever trusses.
That’s why Longwell is pleased with the fact Dave McLaughlin is the City of Benwood’s public works director AND is one of three Marshall County commissioners.
“That’s just because we know Dave is working with the two other commissioners so they can help advance the issue on the state level. We know he’s shining the light on this situation before someone gets killed,” Longwell said in frustration. “With each day that passes, the price for demolition goes up, so now I’m guessing right now it would take around $4 million to bring it down and sell the scrap right now.
“AMG Resources is a scrap company in town, and they’re one of the biggest in the country,” he explained. “The owner has told me, ‘Chief, you get that bridge down and I will get rid of the metal and it’ll be at a good price.’ So, we need to get that bridge down.”
It’s all about the money because it’s always been about the money. There’s been cash made, money paid, and the real losers in all of it are the local taxpayers who have funded the decades-long legal battles that have only left the overpass in a still-standing stalemate.
“That’s the worst part, really,” Longwell said with frustration. “The contractors we’re working with said it would be as easy as de-knuckling the span and lowering it down to a barge. That’s it, so, no, there wouldn’t be the big splash that everyone wants to see, but it would be gone, and that’s what’s most important.
“The last time we walked it, I could tell the bridge is getting spongy,” he reported. “This bridge … it’s like a bad dream. It just won’t go away.”
(Benwood Police Chief Frank Longwell provided several of the included images.)
