Just because thousands of orange construction barriers have been removed from Interstate 70 and in downtown Wheeling over the past year does not mean the city’s facelift is finished in the Friendly City.
A prime example is the Washington Avenue Bridge replacement project that began this past week, and several others have been funded and scheduled to take place over the next few years, according to City Manager Bob Herron.
Detours and construction cones had been in place along Main and Market streets as underground infrastructure took place since 2017, and between October 2019 and early this year, downtown Wheeling was riddled with road work thanks to the ongoing $37 million state-funded streetscape.
The included updates in areas of Chapline and Eoff streets are scheduled for completion in the spring of 2026, so will that mark the end to the barrage of barrels in the Friendly City?
“No,” the city manager replied calmly. “That’s because we have two – maybe three – bridge projects that will take place right behind the Washington Avenue Bridge.
“We’ll still have the Shilling Bridge in Elm Grove. That project was supposed to begin this year, but we delayed it for another year,” he explained. “After that we’ll have the Baker Bridge inside our industrial park in Fulton, and then the Junior Avenue Bridge will be behind those spans because it’s almost time for it to be replaced, too.”
The Shilling Bridge spans Little Wheeling Creek at Overbrook Street, and it was already on the replacement list before the fatal flash flooding in June caused a debris jam. Barriers have blocked the east walkway for years on Baker Bridge along Peninsula Road in Fulton, and the Junior Avenue Bridge spans Big Wheeling Creek in Elm Grove near Bridge Street Middle School.
“The Junior Avenue Bridge is definitely on the radar and we already have an agreement with DOH to replace it,” Herron reported. “It’s not been scheduled, but it is coming, so it will be following the two bridge projects that are on the schedule for the next couple of years. We’ll space them out like we have been since the I-70 projects back in 2019.
“I know people get frustrated with the orange barrels and the detours, but it’s very good news that these projects are funded and scheduled. That only other alternative is to close them because of their condition, and no one wants that to happen,” he said. “Beginning with the replacement of the Washington Avenue Bridge, we’re making a lot of infrastructure improvements.”
Can’t You Smell That Smell?
Odors will emanate from any sewage facility at any time, and that’s why a much-needed project on Wheeling’s facility in Center Wheeling will take place in the near future.
“We just sold $61.7 million worth of water and sewer bonds for several water and sewer projects,” Herron said. “One of those projects includes the agitators at our sewage treatment plant, and that will improve the odor that comes from that facility when the agitators are in use.
“Those projects will the place over the next two or three years, and they will require even more orange barrels,” he said. “It’s all about investing in the infrastructure of this community.”
But wait, there’s more … improvement, that is.
While cycles of paving will continue in the city in 2026, traffic patterns is several areas will be addressed.
“Anyone who has been paying attention to the streetscape project has noticed that there are new traffic signals in the downtown area. They replaced the old signals that were on timers, but the new ones are controlled by sensors,” Herron said. “With the old signals, you could have been in town at 4 a.m. and still sat there for a few minutes because of the timers, but that’s been upgraded.
“So, pretty soon, every single traffic light from North Wheeling to the Riesbeck’s in Elm Grove is going to be replaced. That project has been funded. It’s been designed. We anticipate construction occurring on that project beginning next year,” he revealed. “That’s almost a 10 to $12 million project, so that’s a big deal. It’s going to really improve the efficiency of National Road tremendously just like the new signals have done for motorists in downtown.”
