Easley Bridge, Spanning Norfolk Southern Corporation railroad tracks on Poplar Street, Bluefield, Mercer County, WV

Significance: The 14-span Easley Bridge is representative of the many mid-scale urban bridges built throughout West Virginia during the first half of the twentieth century which emphasized reduced material requirements and increased load-handling capacities. The Easley Bridge played a role within the region's expanding economic network by improving access along U.S. Route 52, the old Huntington-Bluefield Road, and contributing to Bluefield's continuing importance as southern West Virginia's primary economic entrepot. The bridge is also important for its association with Frank Smoot Easley, a prominent local citizen and civic leader in Bluefield. As head of the Good Roads Committee of the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce and later, as chairman of the West Virginia Turnpike Commission, Easley played an important role in improving the state's transportational infrastructure.
Survey number: HAER WV-64
Building/structure dates: 1936 Initial Construction