Amelia A. Pridemore
Once a year, Fayetteville’s New River Gorge Bridge is open to pedestrians, but both federal and state officials say plans are in the works to have it open much more often, with guided tours on the bridge’s maintenance walkway.
Several plan details must be worked out, but authorities anticipate the tours will begin next spring, said Paul Menard, a management specialist with the National Park Service’s New River Gorge National River.
“This will be a very different experience, and the view is spectacular,” he said.
A company called Bridge Walk LLC will provide the tours, Menard said. The company is a Fayetteville-based cooperative effort between whitewater rafting guides.
The New River Gorge Bridge tour plans resulted from a partnership between the National Park Service, which manages the federal land surrounding the bridge, and the West Virginia Department of Transportation, which manages and maintains the bridge itself.
The guided tours will be limited to one operator because of the required extensive safety system and physical limitations of the walkway and access points. Menard said the safety system will include an “elaborate” harness system to keep people from falling or jumping from the bridge.
Bridge Walk LLC was selected as the top-ranked applicant in a competitive process. A panel of NPS employees unconnected with the New River Gorge National River analyzed proposals based on specific selection factors described in a notice announcing the opportunity.
Menard said two strong proponents were Gov. Joe Manchin and Congressman Nick Rahall. The two pushed to make the tours happen because they anticipate a large economic boost.
“It’s a win, win, really,” Menard said. “The National Park Service increases its educational and recreational opportunities. The state and local governments have economic growth. Everybody wins.”
