In many ways, the Washington Avenue Bridge splits the city of Wheeling.
So, when the cantilever span is closed down for a complete replacement in October, a simple jaunt from the Woodsdale neighborhood to the Vally View A-B-C streets will require a compete go-around, firefighters and paramedics from Station 10 will adopt new response routes, and students and staff from Wheeling University will rely more on a walking bridge than ever before.
Those are only a few examples.
The Washington Avenue Bridge, opened in 1947 as a link between Mount de Chantal Road, Interstate 70, and National Road, will be shuttered at some point in October for an $8 million replacement project. The need for a new span was recognized in 2021, but it was delayed because of the ongoing projects along Ohio County’s freeway.
Detours will be in place for more than a year, according to Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron. The state of West Virginia, the city manager explained, has agreed to cover 80 percent of the cost thanks to the Off System Bridge Program, and the city’s share is $1.4 million. The city will cover its share of the cost by utilizing dollars generated by natural gas leasing agreements.
“The American Petroleum Partners is the company we have one agreement with, and they have paid us that money,” Herron said. “The lease includes several acres the city owns, and that includes the old landfill in North Park. Along with that lease, we also created a partnership with the Wheeling Park Commission several years ago for the extraction that takes place around the parks.”
Herron starting working on the planning in 2021 with former WVDOH official Tony Clark, and now new District 6 manager Brian Kucish will provide oversight for the project. Five years ago this month when the city of Wheeling lowered the weight limit on the bridge from 33 tons to 5 tons, causing the folks responsible for route control for OVRTA and Ohio County School buses to alter traffic patterns.
“I know there will be a lot of our residents who will have to make adjustments, and we understasnd that, but once this replacement project is completed, everything will go back to normal,” he said. “The Washington Avenue Bridge is a major artery for the people who live here in Wheeling, and for a lot of others who visit the city for employment, their education, and for a lot of other reasons.
“This is a project that has to happen, and then the new bridge will be good for a very long time,” Herron said. “Right now, the folks with DOH are coordinating utility relocation for a water main and some sewer lines that have been worked on in that area recently,” he said. “It’s a project that we’ve known about for several years, and work has been performed on it to ensure everyone’s safety until the replacement could take place this year.”
