WHEELING — The future of Wheeling is already looking brighter in a number of areas throughout town, as AEP continues to upgrade street lights with LED lights.

In recent months, members of Wheeling City Council had expressed frustration with the maintenance of street lights in certain areas of the city. On Wheeling Island, along the stretch of W.Va. 2 between North Wheeling and Warwood, and in other areas, a number of street lights had been out.

While AEP maintains the street lights, the company typically relies on the public to report locations that are out by providing the pole numbers. However, some areas had several lights in need of replacement, and some poles proved difficult to access in order to retrieve the pole numbers, officials noted.

This month, city leaders noted that AEP has been hard at work not only addressing lights that have been out but also upgrading lights from the old-school, high-pressure sodium lights to new LED lights.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron reported that the company made a point to complete work associated with the state’s Downtown Streetscape Project along Main and Market streets in time for the annual Main Street Bank Fantasy in Lights Parade last week.

“AEP has worked very diligently to get all of the overhead lights on Market Street up in advance of the Christmas parade, and they are all done,” Herron said. “They are all LED lights throughout the downtown. They look great, and it’s well-lit at night.”

As part of the Streetscape project, all of the old overhead lights had been taken down. New bases were installed at different elevations, and the lamps themselves were upgraded to LED.

“Main Street was pretty much done at the end of spring of this year, while work on Market Street continued,” Herron said, applauding AEP crews for their efforts in recent weeks. “They also replaced all of the decorative lights in Market Plaza with LED lights. It looks great.”

Wheeling City Councilman Ben Seidler had originally sounded the alarm about numerous light poles that were out on Wheeling Island. Officials had requested earlier this year that AEP dispatch a crew to take inventory on the street lights that needed to be replaced.

Other areas in the city have also been darkened by street lights that have been out, officials noted. But those, too, are being addressed.

“Mr. Seidler has brought to my attention a couple of times some issues on the freeway with their high overhead lights,” Herron said. “They’re working on those — there were three major lights that were out, and I know that at least one of those are back on and possibly two.”

Herron added that the West Virginia Division of Highways is addressing lighting issues with highway signage on Interstate 70.

“DOH is working on lights that illuminate the exit sign on I-70, so we’re pleased with those efforts,” he said.