Aetnaville Bridge

The Aetnaville Bridge is an historic, abandoned bridge that spans the west channel of the Ohio River between the former village of Aetnaville in Bridgeport, Ohio and Wheeling Island in Wheeling, West Virginia.

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The Aetnaville Bridge is a historic, abandoned bridge that spans the west channel of the Ohio River between the former village of Aetnaville in Bridgeport, Ohio, and Wheeling Island in Wheeling, West Virginia.

The Aetnaville Bridge was constructed in 1890 to 1891 by the Youngstown Bridge Company, ⁵ using components from the Wrought Iron Bridge Company of Canton, Ohio. ¹ It is made up of seven pin-connected Pennsylvania through trusses, with sandstone piers providing support. The Wheeling Railway Company used the bridge to run interurbans between Wheeling and Bridgeport, as well as satellite cities in West Virginia and Ohio. ⁴ In 1899, the interurban was reorganized as the Wheeling Traction Company.

All streetcar services in the area stopped in 1937, and the Aetnaville Bridge was converted for automobile use, ⁴ with tolls being levied. ⁵ These tolls were removed in June 1953.

The three western trusses were removed and reconstructed with steel girders when the OH Route 7 freeway was completed through Bridgeport in 1969. However, the crossing was closed to automobile traffic in December 1988 due to structural deterioration.

In May 2015, the West Virginia Department of Highways (WVDOH) considered demolishing the Aetnaville Bridge at a cost of $800,000. ^{3 6} A detailed visual inspection in October of the same year revealed severe structural issues. As a result, the crossing was closed to pedestrians on January 20, 2016. ²

In February 2024, the WVDOH announced plans to begin demolishing the superstructure of the Aetnaville Bridge on July 28, 2025, at an estimated cost of $2.5 million. ⁶

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Sources

1. Connors, Fred. “Aetnaville Bridge in Bridgeport To Be Inspected” The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register. 5 Oct. 2015. Web.
2. Warner, Mollie. “Troubled Bridge Over Water.” The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register. 21 Jan. 2016. Web.
3. Connors, Fred. “Highway Officials Eye W.Va. Bridges.” The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register. 1 Nov. 2015. Web.
4. Fluharty, Linda Cunningham. “Trolleys & Trains, Wheeling, WV – Wheeling Area Genealogical Society.” Virtual Wheeling Area Trolley Museum. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
5. “WVDOH Seeks a party to acquire the historic Aetnaville Bridge.” West Virginia Department of Transportation.
6. Novotney, Steve. “Demolition of Wheeling Island’s Aetnaville Bridge Scheduled by WVDOH.” LEDE News, 19 Feb. 2024.