A renovation to the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge and major repairs to 26 bridges along Interstate 70 in and around Wheeling, West Virginia, are wrapping up.
In 2017, the West Virginia Department of Transportation initiated a study of the Interstate 70 corridor to determine current bridge conditions which led to the development of the largest single contract that the Division of Highways had ever awarded as part of Governor Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity program. Work on the $214 million project began in 2018 which involved the superstructure replacement of the viaduct through Wheeling Island, a new roadway deck, structural work, and repainting of the Fort Henry Bridge over the Ohio River, and renovated or rebuilt bridges elsewhere.
In addition, repairs are also being made to the Wheeling Suspension Bridge. The bridge, which spans the Ohio River, has been closed since 2020 due to structural issues brought on by overweight vehicles. The repairs are expected to take several more months to complete, and it remains to be seen whether the bridge will be able to reopen after the repairs are finished. The city is closely monitoring the situation and will make a decision about the bridge’s future once the repairs are completed and the bridge has been thoroughly inspected.
