WHEELING — Those traveling on Interstate 70 between Wheeling Tunnel and the West Virginia-Ohio state line could see lane shifts as early as today and over the coming week.

West Virginia Division of Highways Area Engineer Mike Witherow said that, as part of the I-70 Bridges project, motorists can expect to see the single I-70 westbound lane shift from the eastbound side of the Fort Henry Bridge back over to the far right westbound side of the Fort Henry and going across the “back channel” bridges above Wheeling Island to the state line.

Witherow said that, beginning possibly as early as next Tuesday, Swank Construction expects to shift the single I-70 eastbound lane above the back channel bridges over to the westbound side as well, but shift traffic back to the eastbound side near the Fort Henry Bridge. That will allow traffic to exit onto Main Street, set up as part of the local detour for the bridges project.

“That allows us to continue doing our steel repairs on the Fort Henry, but switch it on the back channel (section),” Witherow explained.

He said at some point in the coming months, Swank will switch the eastbound lane on the Fort Henry Bridge back over to the westbound side to allow for deck overlay on the eastbound side of the bridge. Witherow said DOH and Swank will work through those details when the time comes.

Swank has been in the process of installing temporary metal barriers on the westbound side of the highway on the back channel bridges in recent weeks to prepare for the lane shifts, Witherow said.

“They’re putting a temporary barrier out there to separate traffic,” he said, adding that Swank is installing light poles in the area of the back channel bridges. “So everything is kind of coming together here and we’re tentatively scheduled to switch the westbound (lane on Tuesday).”

Swank is expected to schedule crews to start some rigging work for painting the other half of Fort Henry Bridge as soon as next week, though the actual painting may not begin till later this spring. Some steel repairs still need made to the structure. The westbound side of the bridge was painted a bright blue color last year, while the eastbound side of the bridge remains a faded green.

The $215 million I-70 Bridges Project includes the rehabilitation of 26 bridges on I-70 in Ohio County over a nearly three-year construction schedule, with the full replacement of several spans. All the rehabilitation work includes building new decks or overlaying an existing deck and making any necessary steel or substructure repairs.