Growing up, the Mattingly children thought all kids rode bikes on unfinished interstates. It was their dad Jim Mattingly’s work: Highway and bridge construction. Employed 32 years for Lang Brothers, the Bridgeport resident worked on a long list of bridge projects, including our city’s own Simpson Creek Bridge, the 6^th Street Bridge in Clarksburg, the stadium bridge at WVU, the Haywood-Lumberport bridge and a pair of bridges spanning River Bend Road, among many others.

 

Since its 1994 construction, the latter project has had a special story behind it. Now, it has two. As of March 9 - the last day of the 2019 West Virginia Legislative Session - the bridge known as NGK Pony Truss, carrying County Route 32/3 over the Pocatalico River in Kanawha County is officially named “U.S. Army Sgt. James E. Mattingly Bridge.”

 

“Dad is so deserving of this honor as he has worked so hard on improving the infrastructure of West Virginia,” said his daughter Debora Mattingly. “He takes such pride in the work he has done – and continues to do. To let others know about it is a great way to honor him.”

 

It was his children, Dina (Mohler), Danita (Nellhaus), Deborah and David who instigated the process. Not only did their dad receive his college education on a GI Bill after serving an honorable stint in the U. S. Army, then worked 60 years – and counting – in the highway construction industry, but he, of all people, would appreciate the gesture.

 

“One of dad’s favorite movies is ‘Waking Ned Devine,” Nellhaus said. “The theme is basically to honor people while they are still here and let them know how you feel about them. It is so fitting to have the bridge named for him while he can ‘bask’ in his accomplishments and the impact he has made to this great state.”

 

It was Mohler, Jim and Bonnie Mattingly oldest child, who got the ball rolling.

 

“Dina persevered once she got the idea of honoring dad in this manner,” Nellhaus said. “She and mom were co-conspirators in gathering information regarding his stint in the army and removing his yearly day journals from his office.”

 

Mohler then contacted the Contractors Association to find out how the process worked, then reached out to State Senator Corey Palumbo to sponsor the bill and contacted various House of Delegates members once the resolution advanced to the House.

 

Mattingly, a longtime, active member of Bridgeport Lions Club and Bridgeport United Methodist Church, has served in various offices of the Construction Association of West Virginia and belonged to other organizations related to his life’s work.

 

Throughout the years, he and his wife raised four Bridgeport High School graduates and were present and supportive in all their sporting and other extracurricular activities.

 

“Dad is by far the most dedicated, ethical and hard-working person I know,” David Mattingly said.

 

Before employment with Lang Brothers, he worked for Meissner Engineering Company and S.J. Groves & Sons.

 

After leaving Lang Brothers in 2004, he began an association with U.S. Bridge Company which still continues through his own company JAMATT.

 

“There are few people who enjoy their work the way Jim Mattingly enjoys his,” Mohler said. “He has worked in the construction industry for more than 60 years and at 87 is still working! He knows every inch of the state of West Virginia, knows every bridge, every back road and every place to get pie or a good buckwheat pancake. The finest way to recognize his contributions to the state infrastructure was to see if we could get a bridge named after him so he could understand how much we appreciate his life’s work.”

 

So, as the story goes – according to Terry Wolfe of V&S Columbus Galvanizing – West Virginia was, in 1993, competing with other states for the NGK Spark Plug plant near Sissonville. There was one problem, the site was inaccessible. To make the site viable, it was necessary to construct two bridges over the twisting Pocatalico River. It was November of 1993 when Mattingly, representing Lang Brothers, and Wolfe met with representatives of the West Virginia Department of Transportation. The men were told the bridges had to be completed by Jan. 1, 1994. Mattingly gave his word it would happen. The company was awarded the job and a pair of galvanized bridges were completed on Dec. 31. West Virginia got the spark plug plant and succeeding work.

 

“Dad’s devotion to getting these two bridges completed in record time, over the holidays, and just in time for the NKG contract to be awarded, is not only astounding, but shows everyone else the character of Dad that we’ve known all our lives,” David Mattingly said.

 

Editor's Note: Pictured from top: Deborah Mattingly, Dina Mohler and Dinita Nellhaus; Jim Mattingly with proclamation; David Mattingly and wife Denise; the U.S. Army Sgt. James E. Mattingly Bridge and Jim Mattingly and wife Bonnie.