Some, but not many, in Ohio County can recall when THE road went through the city of Wheeling more than 60 years ago, but the majority of local residents have depended on Interstate 70 on a daily basis.
Much of the infrastructure has been open and utilized since the late 1950s, but it was not until Wheeling Tunnel opened in December 1966 that the freeway opened alleys to the east and the west. When the federal government cut its path through Ohio County, the construction caused the destruction of more than 200 dwellings in the Elm Grove neighborhood, the relocation of more 100 graves from the Peninsula Cemetery, the gutting of Wheeling Hill, and a brand new kind of noise pollution for citizens of Wheeling Island.
Once the ramps were open to Pittsburgh and to Columbus, but more importantly to Elm Grove and Woodsdale and downtown and Wheeling Island, the need to utilize National Road dwindled, and it became a course used only by those wishing simply to visit down the street.
That is about to change.
The upcoming traffic scenarios have Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard worried for several reasons, including the average age of local motorists, excessive use of cellular devices while driving, today’s hurried social mentality, and out-of-area travelers who are caught by surprise.
“Nothing about this is going to be pretty,” Howard said. “Ugly. Only ugly.”
Total Shutdown
The majority of Wheeling residents will see a sight they have never seen before when bid-winner Swank Construction demolishes the three westbound bridges immediately east of Wheeling Tunnel beginning in February. The construction schedule, according to Howard, calls for the complete replacement of the “Fulton bridges” in each direction during the projected three-year process.
“What they have told us is that they will take those westbound spans to the ground, piers and all, and will completely rebuild them and open them in time for the Festival of Lights up at Oglebay,” the sheriff explained. “And then, in February 2021, they will do the same to the eastbound Fulton bridges with the same timeline, and it’s our hope their plans work out.
“There will be times during these projects when the Heritage Trails are closed near the Tunnel Green complex, and even Big Wheeling Creek will be off limits because the crews will need the land for materials, and it won’t be safe to float under because of the possibility of falling debris,” Howard continued. “It’s going to be a mess, but we will do our best to communicate to the public so they can adjust their travel plans. Our advice now is to leave early, be patient, and follow the detours.”
Howard’s biggest fear? Accidents along the detour routes.
“When the Fulton bridges come down, the primary detour will be U.S. 40 over Wheeling Hill, and a lot of that roadway is one lane,” he said. “If we have a crash that shuts down that route, there won’t be anywhere for anyone to go until the involved vehicles are cleared. That scenario will be a nightmare.
“There’s going to be more traffic on U.S. 40 than what anyone is used to because so many people have become accustomed to using the interstate to get everywhere. The majority of vehicles traveling through Ohio County will take the I-470 detour to continue east or west, but locals will be stuck on local roads, and that’s going to create a lot of issues,” the sheriff predicted. “We’re trying to be positive about all of it, but people are in a hurry these days, and that usually creates problems.”
Nine Years of Planning?
“The very first I heard anything about possibly addressing the condition of Interstate 70 in Ohio County was soon after I was elected to the House of Delegates in 2010,” recalled W.Va. Del. Erikka Storch. “The people with the Division of Highways acknowledged that it needed attention, so I was encouraged at that point. But, when I would bring it up with the local District 6 people, they would always tell me the planning for it was taking place in Charleston and that they hadn’t heard any updates.
“Honestly, I didn’t hear anything about it until the Governor’s ‘Roads to Prosperity’ initiative in 2017. He came here to Wheeling, held a press conference, and really sold the local residents on it because it was so obvious that the work was really needed,” the lawmaker said. “And this area supported that initiative when it came time to vote on it, so at that point, I was finally confident it was going to happen.”
But then it was delayed, again, because Gov. Jim Justice trashed the received design-build bids because even the lowest bid came in $100 million more than what DOH officials projected.
“When I was told about the $172 million cost projection, I thought it was way too low, and that feeling was confirmed,” said Storch. “When the governor threw them in the garbage, I don’t think anyone in this area knew what to expect. I kept hearing from people that someone was going to have to die for the state to pay more attention.
“People shouldn’t have had to feel that way, especially after they voted in favor of the increases to license renewals, vehicle registrations, and things like that. We all have heard our entire lives that the Northern Panhandle is often forgotten in Charleston, and I really didn’t want to believe that was true,” she continued. “I know all the delegates from this area were calling the state about it because we were trying to get some answers.”
DOH officials then began staging a number of “stakeholder” meetings for community leaders, and they welcomed to the public to a forum in February. Storch, who also serves as the president of the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce, attended and then spread the information through local media outlets and on social media.
“The problem with that process, though, was that all the information was proposed because (the DOH) was still planning so we really didn’t know what it was going to look like until just recently,” the lawmaker said. “The past few weeks have been difficult because of all the work on I-470 and the prep work that’s been conducted along Interstate 70. People have been very frustrated, and I completely understand why.
“No one wants to hear this, but at least it’s getting fixed. At least it has finally started, and now all we can do is hope that the timelines work out the way the DOH has it all planned,” she added. “When I look at the overall schedule, it makes me think they were being very optimistic, but if that’s how it works out, I’ll be impressed.”
