Some consider the Phil G. McDonald Bridge an even greater engineering achievement than the New River Gorge Bridge. The span (sometimes known as the Glade Creek Bridge) opened on July 15, 1988, just east of Beckley. It stands about 700 feet above a deep and rough gorge—even more rugged than the New River Gorge. The bridge stretches 2,179 feet across and cost almost $29 million to build. Its strong foundation sits on large, 36-inch-wide supports drilled into solid rock. To build the bridge, workers used over 1.3 million pounds of strong steel. At one time, it was the highest bridge in the entire interstate system.