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New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia marks 40th year

New River Gorge Bridge.

The New River Gorge Bridge is celebrating its 40th anniversary Saturday, and this year's Bridge Day will be a banner event for the West Virginia span.

The bridge officially opened on Oct. 22, 1977. It is 876 feet from the span to the surface of the New River Gorge,

"They invited all of West Virginia to come and see this new amazing bridge and its amazing balance between engineering, architecture, and balance with nature," Brian Campbell, co-founder of Adventures on the Gorge, told WOWK.

The New River flows north and bisects the Appalachians, according to Bridge Day.

A ceremony to mark the bridge's 40th anniversary was set for late Saturday morning, with a Bridge Jam concert to follow in downtown Fayetteville. The Georgia Satellites are the headliners for the concert.