WHEELING — Those traveling in and around the city of Wheeling likely have noticed the historic Suspension Bridge is taking on a new brighter hue.

The fresh paint job is part of the $17 million project to restore the bridge that spans the Ohio River between the downtown and Wheeling Island.

It’s been many years since the bridge has been repainted. The wooden portions are being painted red again, but with the fresh coat it now appears much bolder and brighter. The red color makes the bridge stand out even more, especially for motorists traveling on Interstate 70.

The cables will be repainted white.

The old paint is being removed via a more environmentally friendly method using a Sponge Jet. This method does not use water or air, but pieces of sponge. Tarps catch the pieces of sponge that can be sucked up, recycled and reused in the process.

Before the paint was applied, a gray primer was used.

Structural work also is planned for the bridge to begin in June or July.

The bridge’s main cables will remain, located on the downtown side, but new anchors will be drilled for them.

Some steel work will be done on the bridge, but there isn’t much steel that needs replaced.

The Wheeling Suspension Bridge was constructed in 1849 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The span has a 2-ton weight limit. In recent years it has closed temporarily because of damage caused by oversized vehicles traveling on it.

Over the years some of the support cables have snapped as well forcing temporary closures of the bridge. Finally, in September 2019 it was closed to all vehicle traffic. Until then it had been the oldest suspension bridge still in continuous use in the United States.

State Division of Highways officials have said previously that it is still undetermined whether the bridge will be reopened to vehicle traffic following the renovation.

The contractor hired to do the renovation was Advantage Steel & Construction of Saxonburg, Pa. The painting subcontractor is 446 Painting of Canonsburg, Pa.