Publisher’s Note: LEDE News has covered the three-year, $214 million project on Interstate 70 through Ohio County from many angles, and one of them concerned how it was easy for local residents to recognize how unfamiliar with the area the crews from Swank Construction were during the first 12 months.
This article, originally published in February 2020, informed local readers of a mistake made by someone who designated Exit 1B as a primary detour around the construction on the westbound and eastbound Fulton bridges. While the majority of the 26 bridges and ramps needed repairs, those Fulton spans were demolished and rebuilt and, one direction at a time, the roadways were closed. Exit B, however, was an island with no access.
Overall, we believe the men and women with Swank Construction have performed beyond expectations, but during a stay-at-home pandemic such a sign gaffe was not only newsworthy but a bit funny, too.
Lost and Confused in 2020
Exit 1B is a westbound off-ramp that leads to W.Va. Route 250, W.Va. Route 2, and is the exit to travel to 16th Street in East Wheeling.
The signs along Interstate 70 advise motorists to look for Exit 1B to access the primary detour route designated by the state Division of Highways. But Exit 1B, as it stands today, is an island with no access. It stands in the middle of the three westbound bridges being demolished as part of the massive I-70 project.
“We have told them about that mistake,” said Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard said. “Of course, we noticed it immediately when the signs were placed, and I can’t imagine being someone who is trying to travel through. It has to confuse them if they read the signs. Most people, it seems, travel according to their GPS instead of relying on the signs, and that’s what we hear when our deputies are pulling people over for speeding. That limit is set at 45 mph to slow everyone down for safety, but we’ve had a lot of people ignore it completely because their GPS isn’t telling them the new speed limits in Ohio County.”
“So far, so good, though,” he said. “Those motorists really don’t have a choice but to get off the interstate when they come up to Exit 2A because of the cones and barrels and blockades.”
Detour at Exit 2A
Swank Construction of Bridgeville, Pa., was awarded the $215 million project, and the projected timeframe is three years. Howard said during many of the “stakeholder” meetings held by officials of the WVDOH prior to the beginning, he and Chief Deputy John Schultz needed to correct some of the presented facts.
“At one time, they were telling us about a project on an Elm Grove bridge and that it would involve three lanes in both directions, and that just wasn’t right, and there have been a lot of others,” the sheriff said. “I’m not sure where they were getting their information then, and it’s obvious with the detour sign for Exit 1B, they are still making some mistakes.
“It’s Exit 2A where the westbound detour to National Road begins,” Howard said. “Confusion in situations like this one is the worst thing we can have, but then there’s this. I know people driving in that area have no choice to exit the interstate, but there’s still some confusion.”
Sign of the Times
Issues thus far have been minimal, according to Lou Vargo, director of the Ohio County Emergency Management Agency.
“Of course, there are concerns, but the flow has gone well because most people are taking the I-470 detour,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of congestion along National Road during the rush hour times we have here, but I hope people know those delays are going to happen right now and that they plan for it.
“Even though Exit 2A is the detour exit, we have seen a lot of drivers avoid I-70 completely,” Vargo explained. “So, National Road from Elm Grove through Woodsdale has been very busy between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.”
Vargo reported that the county EMA recently has gained a grant for a new electronic sign to be placed along the construction route that will increase the amount of information motorists will have while navigating the area.
“The people who live in this area are getting used to the new patterns and crossovers, but this new sign will really help the folks driving through for the first time,” he explained. “With a project this size, it’s important for the motorists to have as much information as possible and that is why we felt it was important to get this grant money.
“The new signage will be in place soon, and it will allow us to get information on all the new closures and new traffic patterns to the drivers on Interstate 70,” Vargo added. “As the project moves forward, there will be a lot of changes made by (Swank), so we’ll be able to get those updates out there.”
