It’s become a sport of sorts the past few years while navigating Main and Market streets, and that’s because of multiple lane closures and a level of roadway bumpiness never realized before in downtown Wheeling.
A number of different infrastructure projects have been performed by the City of Wheeling and private sector companies the past three years in preparation for a “streetscape” project that will result in new signalization, upgraded curbs, sidewalks, and ADA-compliant access ramps, and new saplings to line newly paved roadways.
With progress comes pain, according to Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron.
“The city has made a significant investment in the infrastructure in downtown, and our share for the streetscape is $2 million because the state is taking care of the rest. For that, we are very appreciative,” he said. “It’s still a two-year, $25 million project, and I believe the residents of Wheeling are going to be pleased when it’s all finished.
“That’s because the streetscape is going to transform the public right of way in the downtown to make it more conducive for the businesses that we currently have there, and I think it will serve as the catalyst for adding additional businesses,” Herron explained. “The project is a cooperative effort between the city and the state of West Virginia, and I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate Gov. Justice and his involvement with this. He has allowed this project to evolve the way it has needed to so it can really make a positive difference for the city of Wheeling.”
Pipes and More Pipes
There is a logic that has been employed when scheduling the underground infrastructure projects that have riddled the downtown’s two primary throughways since 2018.
The goal: Keeping Main and Market streets scarless as long as possible. In other words, the last thing Herron, Public Works Director Rusty Jebbia, and the seven members of Wheeling Council wish to hear for several years once the streetscape is complete is that a waterline rupture has taken place.
The installation of a new, $5 million water main line is nearly complete along Main and Market streets, and a $1.2 million sewer lining project will be finished early in 2022. Add the $2 million for the City’s share, and Wheeling taxpayers will end up investing a little more than $8 million for the long-overdue beautification.
The last time a similar project took place in the downtown area, Jebbia recalled, was in the mid-1990s.
“I know Mountaineer Gas did update their gas lines in the downtown area in preparation for the streetscape project,” Herron reported. “The power company has done the same, and that project is now complete, and I am not familiar with what Frontier and Xfinity have performed during the last couple of years.
“As far as what the city has done, right now we are about 75 percent finished with a very large water main project that should be completed in February. For The Health Plan, the city installed a storm sewer that has the capability to handle much more than just that one building,” he said. “During the streetscape process, a new storm sewer will be put into place on Market Street, and, right now, there is a sewer lining that’s taking place through the downtown, and it’s about 60 percent complete.”
The Evolution
Initially when former mayor Andy McKenzie announced the streetscape initiative, the project included paving, new curbs, and new walkways.
But that was in 2015 during the final year of his second term, and since then preliminary studies conducted by the state Division of Highways have revealed additional needs costing millions of dollars. McKenzie’s project had a price tag of about $9 million, but that number has grown to at least $25 million with the state funding more than 90 percent.
At this time, though, Herron could not offer a solid timeframe for the start of construction because the streetscape’s scope currently is under review by District 6 Engineer Tony Clark before state officials with the Department of Transportation conduct a final assessment.
Clark did not return messages left for him at his District 6 office in Moundsville.
“The project has evolved from what it was when it was introduced six years ago. In fact, it’s not the same project it is today,” Herron said. “It is now a significantly larger and more complete project than what was started in 2015, and a lot of that has to do with what has to take place underground. There are a lot of parts to it now that weren’t even mentioned when the discussion began back then.
“Dealing with the vaults under the sidewalks has been added as well as the water line project,” he added. “The signalization also was added to it, and additional beautification was, too. The delays, I’m sure, have been frustrating for everyone involved, but the evolving of the project over time will make it better overall.”
