US 60 and SR 16 run together just South of Gauley Bridge then SR 16 takes a turn and meets and runs together with SR 39 along the Eastern side of town.

A post office was established at Gauley Bridge before 1835 although the first settler arrived here around 1831. Not surprisingly the town was named for the location of an old covered bridge, built in the early 1820's by the James River and Kanawha Turnpike and which crossed the Gauley River just above its junction with the New River. Construction on the first hydroelectric power station in Gauley Bridge was completed soon after the beginning of the 20th century. The plant uses the 8 ft natural falls for its power. This city was the scene of a disaster around 1935, when close to 1500 construction workers died from the deadly lung disease silicosis as result of inhaling particles of silica dust while working on a tunnel here.