Cranes lower the center section of the I-64 bridge over the Kanawha River at Nitro onto a waiting barge on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

Increased traffic has necessitated the replacement of the I-64 bridge over the Kanawha between the Nitro and St. Albans exits with two separate four-lane bridges, one for westbound traffic and one for eastbound.

The westbound traffic bridge was completed on October 29th. The new bridge will carry both east and westbound traffic until the eastbound traffic bridge is completed in the fall of 2024. The piers of the original 4-lane bridge will be used to support the girders of the eastbound bridge.

Construction of the westbound bridge commenced in April of 2019. Both new 4-lane bridges will be identical in design, relying upon 350-ton, 470-foot long girders with no superstructure.

The superstructure of the original bridge is destined to be recycled and utilized as rebar.