It’s not the city’s fault. It’ s not the county’s fault, either.
Not only did Ohio County Sheriff Tom Howard urge state Division of Highways officials to replace the Manchester Bridge in East Wheeling, but the current city of Wheeling administration proposed the same idea during meetings that took place before the beginning of the Interstate 70 project in October 2019.
The westbound lanes of I-70 reopened at the end of October after a nine-month barricade, and now the eastbound lanes east of Wheeling Tunnel to the Mount de Chantal on-ramp are scheduled for closure on Feb. 1.
“The best solution would have been to at least place a temporary bridge in the same area where the Manchester Bridge used to be,” said Wheeling Fire Chief Helms. “I know I was hopeful when the governor set aside some of the federal money for health care that this project would be on the radar, but that never happened, and here we are. It’s likely no one on the state level has taken this seriously.
“I know our city manager has spoken to the governor’s office, too, about the bridge and the condition of the former 20th Street, but there really hasn’t been much of a reaction from the state. One of the things that concerns us the most is the extension of time it will take to get people to the hospital. If we still had OVMC open, the concern wouldn’t be as high as it is right now, but that’s not the case.”
Only Game in Town
The “Roads to Prosperity” project was delayed by a year because the bids received were over $300 million. Swank Construction was awarded a $214 million contract during the second round to address 26 bridges and ramps from the state’s border with Ohio to the 7-mile marker along Interstate 70 in Ohio County. It was the second phase of the three-year process that concerned local officials the most.
Once Alecto Health Care shuttered the Ohio Valley Medical Center in late September 2019 and did the same to the employees at East Ohio Regional Hospital two weeks later, Wheeling Hospital has been the lone health care facility for the majority of emergency transports in Ohio and Belmont counties.
With the closure of the eastbound Main Street exit into downtown, EMS crews from Bridgeport and Martins Ferry will be forced to travel Interstate 470 and then access Medical Park via I-70 westbound.
“Anyone experiencing an emergency that is going to need a hospital transport is going to see some type of delay,” Helms said. “If there is no traffic, the delay will be minimal, but with this project taking place and the additional traffic we expect along National Road, it is going to make a difference. There are going to be delays.
“The amount of traffic there at any given time of the day is going to be unpredictable, but thankfully we have worked well with our local DOH District to gain access to the traffic cams,” he said. “So, before out crews depart for an emergency situation, they are going to check the traffic to see if they need to alter their course. It’s going to be tricky; there’s no doubt about that.”
Seconds, Not Minutes
For residents of Wheeling west of Wheeling Tunnel who depend on the Wheeling Fire Department when calling 911, delays will be inevitable.
“’Every second matters’ is what we always say,” offered the fire chief. “And that’s because it’s true, and that’s why we have concerns.”
The westbound lanes from Exit 2A (Oglebay/Woodsdale) to Exit 0 along the Fort Henry Bridge were closed between February through November 2020 and caused a negative economic impact, but come next week, public health comes into play, insisted the fire chief. Without a new span over Big Wheeling Creek at 17th Street and Rock Point Road, planning has been much more difficult.
“I know placing a temporary bridge has been suggested by the city more than a couple of times during this entire process, and it started before the first barrel went down on a road,” Helms said. “And I know we have mentioned it every time the fire department has been invited by the Division of Highways, but we did give up on the bridge because it seemed as if the state people were not hearing that idea at all.
“I know it’s always about dollars and cents when it comes down to these kinds of solutions, but a new bridge really would have been the best solution because of how fluid the route would be,” he said. “The 20th Street extension is not in good shape and will be a rough ride for the people inside ambulances, and that’s why we suggested paving and some configuration of the road. At this point, we’re hoping the city can do something for us. I wish the state would do something to improve it, but for some reason they have pretty much washed their hands of that. The city has done a very good job with addressing what they can, so that route is one of the better options that we have in emergency situations.”
