I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO PLACE A CACHE
HERE FOR MY LOCAL HISTORY TOUR. THESE S-BRIDGES ARE A THING OF THE
PAST, BUT STILL INTRIGUE US ALL STILL TODAY. THE CACHE IS SMALL AND
WILL HOLD SOME TINY ITEMS. YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK CLOSE TO FIND
THIS ONE.
Blaine Hill "S"
Bridge"
The first Blaine Hill Bridge was constructed
as part of the National Road, the nation's first federally funded
highway. This three-arch S-shaped structure, 345 feet in length,
spans Wheeling Creek (a tributary of the Ohio River) and is the
longest original "S" bridge in existence on the old
National Road. At a
gradient of approximately 6.3 percent from east to west, it
significantly eased, for the first time, the arduous 500-foot
western climb out of the valley. Blaine Hill Bridge is the state's
oldest bridge and recently was named the state Bicentennial Bridge.
Constructed in 1828, the same year Jackson became our 7th president
of the United States. . The bridge remains in its authentic state,
and the sandstone structure is unique for its three arches. The
Bridge is the first bridge in the Northwest Territory. The bridge
has received over $1 million in state aid for restoration.
Crumbling and in poor condition, it was saved from demolition in
1999. Now tucked between the 1933 U.S. 40 viaduct and Interstate
70, it illustrates the earliest of Ohio's three eras in national
highway transportation.
"Blaine Hill Viaduct"
The current Blaine Hill Viaduct was built in
1933. It overlooks the 1828 "S" bridge, which could no longer
handle increasing automobile traffic on the National Road,
averaging 2,700 vehicles daily. Determined that this pioneer artery
of transportation continue its contribution to national progress,
a
citizen's group called the
National Highway Improvement Association led the way in the
building of this concrete and steel viaduct. Named the Arches of
Memory, it was dedicated to Belmont County's World War I Veterans.
The opening of Interstate 70 in 1964 diverted most of the traffic
flow from this bridge. It continues to carry traffic along the
historic National Road (U.S. 40), designated an All-American Road
in 2002. It represents the middle generation in this view, which
encompasses three eras of highway travel in Ohio.
