There was no way.
The state of West Virginia hired Swank Construction out of Bridgeville, Pa., to perform a $214 million rehabilitation project on 26 bridges along Interstate 70 in Ohio County. It was deemed a three-year process that included design, bidding, steel procurement, and the creation of crossovers in Elm Grove and near the Fort Henry Bridge.
Once Swank set up its base in the Fulton neighborhood, the company’s red trucks and cranes arrived to Wheeling and the timeline was released by the Division of Highways. Public opinion already was very low because the “Roads to Prosperity” project had been delayed by a year after W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice balked at the bids received the first time because the lowest was still $100 million more than he wished to dedicate.
But when it was revealed the company’s crews were allotted just nine months to demolish, replace, and rehabilitate three westbound spans east of Wheeling Tunnel, confidence fell to an all-time low. Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard expressed his concerns with the schedule and with the detour that took motorists off I-70 near Kroger and guided them up and over Wheeling Hill to Seventh Street in North Wheeling. Most of that area of National Road offered only one lane and Howard feared an accident along the detour would create traffic issues for hours.
W.Va. Del. Erikka Storch (R-3rd) worked extensively with local media outlets to distribute updated information she collected during several “stakeholder” meetings staged by DOH officials, and the lawmaker also communicated her fears about the foolhardy timeframe.
There was just no way.
Covid Concerns
For the first few months, crews with Swank Construction worked swiftly with the demolition of the westbound side of the Fulton Bridge, the longest and highest of the three spans near the tunnel. Bright lights were erected so jackhammering could take place nearly 24 hours each day, and local residents saw the interstate like they never had before.
At the same time, workers were shattering the concrete decks on the Fort Henry Bridge and the long span that crosses Wheeling Island, and large chunks of the retired roadway collected beneath.
But then they left.
The coronavirus pandemic had begun and many of the Swank employees were residing in hotels near The Highlands and, according to officials with the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, that was a risky and unwise situation. So, after informing local officials of the hiatus, the employees departed the Wheeling area and did not return for two weeks.
“When that happened, I didn’t think there was a chance they would have that Fulton Bridge completed by the deadline,” Sheriff Howard said. “Even though they told us they were three weeks ahead of schedule at that time, it just looked like a lot to get done in a short amount of time.”
Piers Up, Steel Arrives
The beams were huge, far larger than the steel girders that had been in place for more than 50 years, and the cranes could be seen lifting them for placement for the new, westbound Fulton Bridge.
One by one, the beams went into place, and then the concrete followed. One week before the Nov. 1 deadline, those three bridges reopened to travelers making their way west to Ohio and maybe beyond.
“All of a sudden, it all came together, and that was a nice surprise,” Howard said. “I know I’m not an engineer or someone who has worked on projects like this one, but it really did seem like a lot to get done in a short period of time. I’m impressed, I can tell you that.
“And we were really lucky last winter because we really didn’t get a lot of snow that could have caused some issues along the detour. This year we’ve seen more snow and tricky conditions than we did last year, so I think we avoided some issues that could have been pretty bad for a lot of people,” he continued. “I know there’s still a lot left that needs to get done, but I feel better about the eastbound side now.”
Another Nine Months
Construction work is ongoing in Elm Grove, near Wheeling Hospital, and on the Fort Henry Bridge and on Wheeling Island, but in less than two weeks a new detour will be created to make way for the demolition and rehabilitations of three bridges in the same area but in the eastbound direction, according to the DOH’s schedule.
The completion date is currently set for Oct. 1, 2021, but even the doubters have hope it could be sooner.
“Let’s just say that it’s not a painful experience anymore going to my office in downtown Wheeling from my house in Woodsdale,” Del. Storch said. “It has progressed with fewer issues than I thought there would be, and I give credit to Swank for that. Their plan has been well orchestrated, and it came together very quickly at the end.
“I do get a lot of phone calls about what people are concerned about, but I-70 doesn’t seem to be one of them anymore,” the delegate added. “There’s still going to be inconveniences during the next year or so, but hopefully it all goes the way the first half of the project went.”
