WHEELING, W.Va. — Motorists in the Wheeling area might be experiencing Déjà vu on Monday and for the next nine months.
The second phase of the $214-million bridge rehabilitation project on Interstate-70 through Ohio County began at 10:30 a.m. Monday as I-70 eastbound was closed by Swank Construction from Exit 1B, the U.S. 250/W.Va. Rt. 2-16th Street exit, to Exit 2A, the Oglebay Park exit.
The first phase of the project, which featured a demolition of the Fulton Bridge, began nearly one year ago to the date but featured the closure of the westbound lanes in that exact area. As the first phase lasted until November, West Virginia Division of Highway (DOH) officials and those with the Wheeling Police Department (WPD) are expecting the same timeline for much of 2021 with a November completion for phase two.
Philip Stahl, WPD Public Information Officer told MetroNews that travel on the westbound lanes on I-70 through the Friendly City has been smoother and has been welcomed.
“People are eager to have the work done. We know that it needs to be done,” Stahl told MetroNews.
“I’ve always believed and we’ve always said at the police department about being patient about it, the end product will be worth it. It was for the westbound lanes and it certainly will be for the eastbound side.”
Stahl said additional closures in the area include the U.S. 250 on-ramp to I-70 East. Similar to phase one, the DOH is advising all through traffic heading to points east of Wheeling to use Interstate-470.
For local traffic, Stahl said the detour begins exit onto Main Street in downtown, onto 10th Street and continuing east on Market Street over top of the Wheeling Tunnel. From there motorists travel on National Road over Wheeling Hill and through the Fulton section of Wheeling and onto Mount de Chantal Road.
Access to U.S. 250/W.Va. 2 South will still be available for motorists when traveling east on I-70 through the Wheeling Tunnel.
Included in the current phase will be the closure of Exit 2A, the Oglebay Park/Mount de Chantal Road off-ramp, which Stahl said will help alleviate some of the congestion in the area near Perkins Restaurant and Kroger. Stahl said the department’s main focus will be that exit area and the exit into downtown to begin the detour.
According to Stahl, work on the Fort Henry Bridge will continue this spring but there is an expected switch of lanes being worked on in the next two months. The half blue, half green bridge, may be one tone by May as crews continue on the repairs.
?DETOUR DAY?
Starting today, Feb. 1, 2021, I-70 East will be closed from Exit 1B to Exit 2A. Local traffic will need to take a detour via US-40/National Road.
? More information and links available via WVDOT at https://t.co/ZFWULhH17g pic.twitter.com/gbldl9lsP7— Wheeling, WV Police (@WheelingPolice) February 1, 2021
The project, which features work on 26 bridges from the Ohio State line to Milepost 7 (Middle Creek Road area), will have a final phase in 2022 that is expected to last until October. Some bridges in the project are getting touched up while others are getting new beams and decks and some are being completely torn down and replaced like the Fulton Bridge.
Stahl said multiple factors including the weather and the pandemic will play a role in the pace of the project. Swank Construction workers had to stop for multiple weeks in March last year due to the virus.
The DOH has a hotline at 304-810-3214 for citizens to voice questions and concerns on the project.