Painting company working out final details

CHESAPEAKE — The closure of the bridge connecting Chesapeake and Huntington, West Virginia, has been postponed.

The Robert C. Byrd Bridge was supposed to be closed starting on Monday, but Thursday afternoon, the West Virginia Division of Highways announced KMX Painting Inc. has postponed the closure as they work out final details concerning timing and detours.

There was no indication when the closure would start. The original plan was to have the bridge closed until November.

The 720-foot bridge, also known as the Sixth Street Bridge, was built in 1994.

KMX was awarded a contract for nearly $10.3 million in December 2022 to completely clean and repaint the bridge approaches, main spans, and support piers. 

“The Robert C. Byrd Bridge is one of our major highway structures that spans the Ohio River and provides an important local link to the City of Huntington as well as a regional connection between the states of Ohio and West Virginia,” said West Virginia Division of Highways District 2 engineer Rob Pennington, P.E. “Completely closing the bridge during the project will allow the project to be completed quicker, more efficiently and more safely for the traveling public.”

When the bridge is closed, motorists wishing to cross the Ohio River between Huntington and Ohio may utilize the West Huntington Bridge at 17th Street West, about two miles west of the Robert C. Byrd Bridge or the East Huntington Bridge at 31st Street. 

Detour routes will be prominently marked.