Mar 2, 2013 1 min read

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) – The Wheeling Suspension Bridge is closed indefinitely after a cable snapped.

Media outlets report that the cable snapped on top of the bridge on the downtown Wheeling side Saturday afternoon.

West Virginia Division of Highways spokesman Brent Walker says the diagonal cable helps to prevent the bridge from swaying. He says it’s not a load-bearing cable.

State inspectors plan to develop a repair plan on Monday.

The 1,000-foot-long bridge originally was built in 1849. It was rebuilt in 1856 after a wind storm damaged it in 1854.