Local Motorists:
Here we go again.
They’re changing. Traffic patterns, that is. As Swank employees begin to return to Wheeling this weekend to continue the replacements of and repairs to 26 bridges along Interstate 70 in Ohio County, eastbound traffic will be tricky for those choosing not to use I-470 as their desired detour.
And the corner of 10th and Main streets will be a nightmare. While the three bridges immediately east of Wheeling Tunnel are under repair or being replaced, all traffic that rolls over Wheeling Island onto the Fort Henry Bridge will be forced to exit into downtown Wheeling and wiggle through a detour that includes traveling up and over Wheeling Hill.
The Mount de Chantal intersection near Perkins? That area will be the reason why everyone who lives west of Wheeling Tunnel will utilize I-470 and go nowhere near the National Road stretch that features businesses like the 19th Hole, CVS, and Sheetz.
The good news is that the eastbound lanes are scheduled for completion by the beginning of November, and Swank made good on a similar deadline for the westbound closures last year. The bad news? Most members of law enforcement feel we were lucky during the first phase of this three-year project because accidents were few and far between and last winter was very mild.
What this February and March produce, however, remains to be seen, and that’s why it would be wise to expect the worst.
Yeah, this is more of a public service announcement than anything else, but let’s hope it’s one that will make you think about your own safety and help you select the course that keeps you out of gridlock.
Sincerely,
#RememberTheZipperMerge
