We have to be honest with you. We expected the worst.
We made fun of the company’s name, and the construction schedule initially appeared so daunting that most believed it would be impossible to cover as much ground as was expected. We saw the erosion, the cracks, the rebar exposed by fallen-away concrete, and we felt the unevenness of most of these bridges while traveling Interstate 70 in Ohio County.
On, and when you all left the area because of the spread of COVID-19, we believed we were directly doomed for a decade.
What you may or may not know is that we here in the Upper Ohio Valley have a very long history with orange barrels, road closures, detours, and construction delays. Oh, and there was this construction outfit named the Velotta Company out of Ohio that won a six-month contract in the mid-2000s to address the drainage and replace tiles inside the east and west tubes of Wheeling Tunnel, but instead those workers were here in Wheeling FOR THREE YEARS.
Not only have many of those tiles fallen from the sides and ceilings of the tubes since, but we’ve also discovered that only eight of the 30 installed drains are operational today.
So, yes, we’re jaded, and we have trust issues with folks like you, and if we have sneered and snarled at you, now you know why.
But completing two entire bridge replacements and renovating a third along the westbound lanes near Perkins? Impressive. Thank you, and please continue the great work and staying on schedule because that will mean we’ll all be free of this nightmare in just one more year.
Sincerely,
Those Smiling with Fascination Folks
P.S. Could you please “accidentally” paint the eastbound side of the Fort Henry Bridge gold? Please?
