×

THE TOP STORIES OF 2021: Construction clogged local roadways

File Photo Orange barrels block access to downtown Wheeling from Interstate 70 and the Fort Henry Bridge, part of the extensive I-70 Bridges construction project.

WHEELING — If the Ohio Valley had a regional flower this year, it might as well have been an orange traffic cone.

Road construction seemed to be everywhere, from interstates to downtown streets. Drivers throughout the region were pushed onto more circuitous routes to get to and from various destinations.

Sometimes they led to traffic clogs. Often, they led to longer trips in the car. Yet the results of that work ­– fortified and rejuvenated roadways — made the hassle a little more palatable.

The most visible example came along Interstate 70 with the I-70 Bridges Project, the single-largest highway project in West Virginia in terms of scope and cost.

The $215 million project closed the eastbound side of the Fulton Bridge — along with a stretch of I-70 east from the Wheeling Tunnel to Mount de Chantal Road — for months.

Drivers trying to travel east in that area had to exit in downtown Wheeling and head up Wheeling Hill on National Road before being able to get back onto the interstate at Mount de Chantal Road. I-70 would reopen, to the joy of motorists, in October, but the exit off the Fort Henry Bridge to downtown Wheeling would close, sending drivers through Wheeling Tunnel and around to the other side of the city to get downtown.

As frustrating as the detours and delays might have been, state Division of Highways officials said they were necessary, and would keep construction vehicles from coming back for a long time.

“These bridges were built back in the 1950s,” West Virginia Division of Highways District 6 Engineer Tony Clark said in September. “It was time for them to be rehabilitated or completely rebuilt. At the end of the day we’ll walk away with 26 new bridges that we won’t have to worry about for another two to four decades.”

The project also allowed the Fort Henry Bridge to get a facelift of its own. The faded green that drivers had seen for so long was replaced with deep blue paint. The job was completed in stages, which left the bridge two-toned for a short while.

Eastbound traffic in Ohio has been funneled into a single lane just west of Bridgeport for months. The reduced speed limit in that area has been widely observed, with vehicles moving smoothly, but a bit slowly, through that area.

Back toward the Pennsylvania state line on I-70, drivers saw slower speed limits and lane reductions after longwall mining projects in that area returned in September and were in progress through the end of December.

In central Belmont County, a major repaving project caused some delays in and around the communities of Belmont, Morristown and Centerville. The result, though, was a much smoother ride along Ohio 147 and Ohio 149.

City streets also saw their fair share of work during the year, especially in downtown Wheeling. In March, the city started replacing its water main, which originally was installed in 1886. Construction vehicles were a staple along downtown streets for months, as they dug underneath to fish out the old pipes and replace them with new ones.

That project was necessary before an even bigger one could begin — the Downtown Streetscape project, which will revamp the streets and sidewalks of downtown Wheeling.

Beyond the city’s downtown, the Bedillion Lane sewer improvement project led to some lane closures and diverted traffic, but that work should alleviate basement flooding and sewer backflow in several areas of Edgwood and Woodsdale.

Yet, just because the calendar is turning to 2022 doesn’t mean the construction work will be over. West Virginia Department of Transportation District Construction Engineer Mike Witherow said recently that deck work on several bridges near Elm Grove and the Middle Creek neighborhood of Triadelphia are on the docket.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today