166-year-old Wheeling bridge undergoing routine inspection

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - The 166-year-old Wheeling Suspension Bridge is getting a checkup.

HDR of Weirton is conducting a routine inspection of the bridge this week, looking for signs of deterioration. The West Virginia Department of Transportation hired the company to do the work.

HDR structural engineer Tonya Freeborn tells The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register (https://bit.ly/1IZZ17D ) that the bridge is in “pretty good shape.” She says it’s one of the oldest bridges she has ever inspected.

The West Virginia Division of Highways closed the bridge for several days in February after a sway cable separated from the bridge deck. In March 2013, a corroded sway cable snapped. The cables help to prevent the bridge from swaying.

The bridge connects downtown Wheeling to Wheeling Island.

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Information from: The Intelligencer, https://www.theintelligencer.net