POINT PLEASANT, WV (LOOTPRESS) – It was around five o’clock in the evening, and people were on their way home from work or out shopping for Christmas which was soon approaching. But the people of Point Pleasant had no idea the disaster they were about to face.
On December 15, 1967, the 1928 suspension bridge built by the American Bridge Company collapsed into the bitter cold Ohio River.
The 39-year-old bridge collapsed under the evening rush hour traffic which resulted in the deaths of 46 individuals. The cause of the collapse was determined to be because of the failure of a single eyebar in a suspension chain, due to a small defect 0.1 inches (2.5 mm) deep.
Many cars and people were floating in the Ohio River along with newly-purchased Christmas gifts. It was a scene that many will never forget.
According to analysis, the bridge had been carrying loads much heavier than the bridge was constructed to hold and poor maintenance also played a role.
A new bridge named the Silver Memorial Bridge was constructed and completed exactly two years after the original bridge collapse. The current bridge sits at 1,964 feet in total length.