He will admit it. Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard did not believe the crews with Swank Construction would be able to complete the replacement and rehabilitations of the three bridges immediately east of Wheeling Tunnel by the Nov. 1, 2020 deadline.
And when those crews returned to their homes for two weeks last April once Covid-19 started spreading in Ohio County? Forget about it.
But not only did Swank meet the deadline, the Interstate 70 westbound lanes were opened a week early.
“Without question, it was a pleasant surprise,” said Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard. “When I first saw the schedule for the project, I really thought it was too much work to do in such a short amount of time. It just seemed too ambitious.
“They are taking down the eastbound lanes of the Fulton Bridge right now, and it’s an amazing process to watch. The differences between what was installed back in 1960s and what they are installing now are amazing,” he said. “I just wish they would be doing the same with the other two bridges, too, because those piers do not look like they are in great shape.”
Roads to Prosperity
The $214 million project kicked off with the construction of crossovers in November 2019, and then lane closures led to detours along U.S. 40 up and over Wheeling Hill and into the North Wheeling neighborhood. Now, 16 months later, traffic patterns have changed again and approximately a year remains before completion.
But Howard knows it could have been a longer project if all of the 26 bridges would have been replaced instead of two replacements and 24 rehabilitations.
“When the first bid went out to the contractors, there was much more than was included with the decks and the piers, but then the governor threw it all out because what came in was nearly twice as much as what the state expected,” the sheriff explained. “I just hope Swank or another company doesn’t have to come back here in a few years to take care of the things that aren’t getting attention this time around. We’ve had enough interstate construction in this area, and I know the local residents want to see all of the barrels finally go away.
“The state has a few other projects still on their schedule like the hump Monument Bridge in Elm Grove and the Wheeling Suspension Bridge in downtown,” he said. “Plus, there’s the streetscape project scheduled for the next two years in downtown, so it’s going to be tough getting around.”
Proposed Schedule
While re-decking continues on the Fort Henry Bridge system across the Ohio River and Wheeling Island, the same is taking place with the Greenwood Cemetery, Elm Grove, and Middle Creek spans. According to the schedule updated in January 2019, I-70 should be clear of construction.
Sheriff Howard, however, offered an amended agenda for the final stages.
“Most likely it’s going to extend into the beginning of next year, but these guys have surprised me before so we will see,” he said. “I think everyone who lives in Ohio County would be very happy if it’s all finished before Christmas not only because of Festival of Light, but just to get back to normal.
“But right now, from state line to state line, the speed limit is till 45 mph, and our deputies issue citations every day,” Howard added. “The local residents have been great with the speed and the merging, but the people traveling through seem to be depending more on the Google GPS system rather than reading all of the signs the Division of Highways has placed.”
