Employees of Swank Construction have started removing the decking of the westbound span that extends the length of Wheeling Island to the border of Ohio, and the demolition has caused traffic delays for thousands of motorists traveling Interstate 70.
For much of the last two months, Swank employees have been constructing crossovers in preparation for performing more than $200 million worth of work to 26 bridges and ramps. Six bridges east of Wheeling Tunnel will be demolished and replaced while 20 others will be completely re-decked. The entire process is projected to last at least three years, and it includes spans from the Ohio border to mile marker 8.
Swank Construction out of Bridgeville, Pa., was awarded the $214 million bid as the general contractor hired by the West Virginia Department of Transportation.
“We’ve been talking about these situations for close to two years, and here we are,” said Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard. “But knowing it’s going to happen and seeing it actually taking place are two very different situations, and it’s our hope that people are patient when entering the areas where a lot of work is getting done.
“We have prepared as much as possible with the information we’ve been given,” he continued. “But there are going to be some situations that are challenging, and all we can do is hope people keep themselves safe. It’s only the beginning, and these situations are going to present themselves as the company continues doing what it needs to do.”
As of Sunday, about 100 feet of the span near the westbound Exit 0 onto Wheeling Island has been stripped down to the steel, and large piles of rubble are beneath. A protective covering has been placed on the portion of the bridge that travels over the back channel of the Ohio River.
“I know there’s a lot of doubt that the entire project will be completed during the projected timeline, but the good news is that there are incentives in the contract to get it done,” explained W.Va. Del. Erikka Storch (R-3rd). “And there are also penalties in the contract if the company misses deadlines, so that’s why I am remaining positive about this work.
“It’s good to see this much work taking place instead of having to keep talking about it,” she said. “We went from not hearing much at all from the state to having frequent meetings with local stakeholders and DOH officials. Now that it has started, I’m hoping local residents will become used to leaving a little earlier when they have to travel in the affected areas.”
Along with the bridge work on Wheeling Island, the company also erected a large crane on the east side of Wheeling Tunnel in preparation for the bridge demolitions to take place on the “Fulton” bridges. The three westbound bridges are scheduled for complete razing beginning in February 2020, and the work is expected to be completed by the end of November. The eastbound spans are scheduled for demolition in January 2021.
The crane rests south of Big Wheeling Creek near where the Heritage Trail has been closed to walkers, runners, and bicyclists.
Wheeling Island resident Lynne Walton described her travel to and from her home as “painful.”
“It depends on whether the ramp onto the interstate off of Market Street is open as far as getting home from downtown Wheeling,” she explained. “If that ramp is closed, then we have to stay on Market, turn down 7th Street, then onto Main Street so we can access the interstate that way. If that’s the case, it could take 10 or 15 minutes for me to get home.
“Of course, it depends on what time of day it is, too,” she continued. “If it’s between 4:30-5:30 p.m., it takes the extra time, but the rest of day it’s just a longer trip.”
Walton, a native of Moundsville who has lived in Wheeling for more than 30 years, remains upset with state officials over the closing of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.
“I know another tour bus went over it and that the bridge was damaged, but (DOH officials) said it was fixed, and it was re-opened,” she said. “After three weeks, it was closed again to vehicles without much of a warning, and I didn’t think that was very fair to the people who live on Wheeling Island.
“I don’t think there’s a single resident of Wheeling Island who thought they would close the Suspension Bridge while all of this work is being done on the bridge,” Walton added. “But now, there’s not a lot us who believe they will re-open again. I think most of us are pretty convinced that (the DOH) will close it for good, and that’s just horrible.”
Find out the history of I-70 by checking out “A Carved-In Interstate”
