Pomeroy-Mason Bridge reopens after Friday afternoon barge strike

The Pomeroy-Mason Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River between the communities of Pomeroy, Ohio, and Mason, West Virginia, is back open following a barge strike on Friday, March 6, 2026. A bridge pier on the structure was hit around 2 p.m. by one of a group of about a dozen barges that broke loose on the Ohio River. Out of an abundance of caution, the bridge was closed until bridge inspectors could assess the damage. Due to recent heavy rains, the Ohio River was flowing too swiftly to allow inspectors to reach the bridge by boat. West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) bridge inspectors rappelled off the bridge to find only superficial, cosmetic damage. The bridge reopened to traffic just after 6 p.m. After hitting the Pomeroy-Mason Bridge, the flotilla of renegade barges continued downstream. Emergency officials were prepared to close the Silver Memorial Bridge at Point Pleasant when the barges got too close to that structure, but the rogue barges were rounded up before they got that far.