The New River Gorge Bridge

Photo courtesy of William E. Pugh, Jr.
In times past, crossing West Virginia's New River Gorge was a very dangerous and time-consuming task. It took approximately 40 minutes of driving down narrow mountain roads to effectively go little more than one-half mile! That harrowing 40 minute drive was reduced to less than 60 seconds on October 22, 1977 with the opening of the New River Gorge Bridge.

The gorge was so wide and deep that just getting the first steel positioned across it posed quite a challenge, but the many technical difficulties were quickly overcome. After less than three years of construction, the 3,030 foot single arch steel bridge - the longest in the world at the time - opened to traffic.

The Fayette County, WV Chamber of Commerce hosts an annual "Bridge Day" celebration on the third Saturday of October. Pedestrians are not allowed on the New River Gorge Bridge for 364 days out of the year, but on "Bridge Day" they have full run of the structure!

Since the bridge stands a dizzying 876 feet above the New River, it quickly became a favorite launching point for BASE jumpers (adventurous folks who parachute off of tall fixed objects) after its completion.

But since pedestrians are forbidden from using the bridge except on "Bridge Day", that's the only time that BASE jumping from the New River Gorge Bridge is actually legal - and large numbers of jumpers take advantage of this opportunity each and every year! (This photo provides a little perspective on the bridge's height.)

"Bridge Day" isn't just for BASE jumping however. Literally thousands of people hike across the bridge and/or down into the gorge while many other brave souls rappel (that's slipping and sliding down a long rope for all of you sane folks) from the bridge to the ground below. The town of Fayetteville hosts several fun and exciting events as well.

Photographer William E. Pugh, Jr. took today's wonderful picture of the New River Gorge Bridge while on an outing with his son.

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