Ruby Bradley Bridge move complete; work continues to open new lanes

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The Colonel Ruby Bradley Bridge in Spencer opened to traffic about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, 44 feet further downstream than it had started two days before.   With the new, four-lane bridge now in its final resting place, work will now shift to the bridge approaches and realigning traffic lanes to convert the old two-lane traffic pattern to four lanes.

MEDIA: For time lapse footage of the two-day bridge move, CLICK HERE.

“They’ve got several months of work left to do until we can utilize all four lanes,” said Dennis James, contract administrator for Rock Forge Bridge Company, which built the new span.   In September 2020, Gov. Jim Justice awarded Rock Forge a contract for $5.8 million to rebuild the Colonel Ruby Bradley Bridge. Built in 1932, the bridge carries US 33 across Spring Creek at the intersection of US 33 and US 119. It is one of the busiest intersections in Roane County.   Because of the almost constant traffic across the bridge, the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) and Rock Forge came up with an innovative plan to replace the bridge. Rock Forge first built a new bridge just upstream of the old span. When the new bridge was finished, traffic was shifted onto the new structure and the old bridge was torn down.   Using massive jacks that resemble long bolts, Rock Forge began sliding the new bridge onto the abutments of the old bridge on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. Work was done at night to minimize the impact on traffic.

Crews could only scoot the bridge a few inches at a time before resetting the jacks for another move. Rock Forge moved the bridge less than half of the 44 feet it needed to travel Sunday night, and started again on the evening of Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.   Crews thought it might take three nights to finish moving the bridge, but they were able to greatly speed up the process on Monday by adding another pump to the jack. “That was the difference,” James said.

Work crews still have to remove the skid plates that the bridge slid across. Then work can begin on the bridge approaches.   Once work is complete, the bridge will have through lanes and right and left turn lanes, James said.

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