Man on span for more than 10 hours

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A man climbing on the Nick Joe Rahall III Bridge connecting Huntington to Ohio caused the closure of the span as emergency crews responded to the scene Wednesday afternoon.

According to Cabell County 911, motorists crossing the bridge saw a man climb over the edge into a restricted area and called to report it just before 3 p.m. When crews arrived on scene, he began to climb the structure of the cantilever bridge.

The bridge was closed on both sides as Huntington police, Huntington fire and Cabell EMS crews tried to get him down safely. The closure caused back-ups of traffic on U.S. 52 on the Ohio side.

Boat traffic was also stopped under the span.

According to information released by Cabell County 911, the man was arrested at approximately 1:36 a.m. Thursday.

Because the incident occurred over the water, it fell under jurisdiction of the crews in West Virginia. The Ohio State Highway Patrol handled the closure on the opposite side of the bridge.