Crumbling bridge stands defiant more than a year after it was scheduled to drop.
More than a year after plans were announced to demolish the Bellaire Bridge in Benwood, it still stands because of a legal challenge over who owns the rusted span over the Ohio River.
The Idaho Supreme Court is being asked to determine who owns the bridge.
Idaho company Advanced Explosives Demolition bought the bridge for $1 in May 2010 then sold it to KDC Investments for $25,000 days later, saying KDC would demolish the bridge. Advanced Explosives Demolition later filed suit seeking to regain ownership, but the court has consistently found that KDC is the owner. Advanced Explosives Demolition appealed that decision.
Benwood Police Chief Frank Longwell tells The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register he doubts the bridge will ever be torn down. He said it’s a safety hazard.
It has been out of service for 20 years. Trees grow from the deck, and a chunk of metal weighing about 30 pounds fell from it earlier this year.
You can read more on the latest developments in this storyhere. In addition, DemolitionNews has used Storify to provide you with a detailed collation of all the news on this ongoing saga during the past year. You can read full details here.
