Safety first

Silver Memorial Bridge Inspection

Built in 1969, the Silver Memorial Bridge serves as both a thoroughfare and monument to its original structure – the Silver Bridge – which had collapsed two years earlier. Several decades later, the Silver Memorial Bridge still serves as a major crossing for people and goods traveling between Charleston, West Virginia and Southern and Central Ohio.

Working to ensure a safe and functioning bridge, the West Virginia Department of Transportation hired us to inspect the bridge every year for the next six years. Our services consist of a cycle of in-depth, periodic, and interim inspections to observe and evaluate all portions of the structure. Fracture critical members and fatigue-prone details receive special attention with observations mandatory at arm's length.

In order to access all of the areas of the bridge that need inspecting in a safe and non-disruptive manner, we completed our first round of inspections using rope access methods. Using a double redundant rope system, we’re able to safely access each portion of the bridge at arm’s length. And we can inspect the entire structure without the use of mechanical equipment or traffic control, allowing vehicular traffic to continue as if we weren’t there.