This summer is the perfect time to visit Belmont County and enjoy the Great Stone Viaduct from new perspectives.
In the fall of 2022, a portion of the bridge was opened to the public with a plaza, a walking trail, and overlook. The course provides access from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line to the Viaduct at Hamilton Street. This iconic sandstone structure, spanning 1433 feet across, is impressive whether you experience it from below or above.
Explore the historic stone arch bridge by bike or on foot and discover this testament to the railroads’ role in forging our country. The viaduct is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Ohio has long been a part of the history of our nation’s railroad system. In 1871, the first trail traveled across the Great Stone Viaduct. Originally part of the country’s longest railroad system, the 43-stone arch bridge connects Bellaire, Ohio, and Benwood, West Virginia.
Similar in design to the Roman aqueduct, the 37 states of the union at the time are represented by 37 ring stones in each arch. A steel portion was added around 1900 to carry traffic southbound.
In 1966 the railway released a 20-arch part of the viaduct but kept the remaining which is still in use today. The Great Stone Viaduct, Historical Education Society, owns the remaining arches. For more information on The Great Stone Viaduct in Bellair, Ohio.
Plans are underway for a four-acre park on the northern end. Discover the beauty and tranquility of Southern Ohio and the Appalachian region by visiting Visit Belmont County.
