WHEELING – Members of Wheeling City Council will soon be reviewing preliminary lists of streets being recommended for paving in 2026.

The city of Wheeling has budgeted money for street resurfacing projects during this fiscal year. Those funds are in addition to Community Development Block Grant money that can also be used for such projects in eligible neighborhoods.

“We’re in the process of putting together our general paving contract for this coming summer,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron recently reported to members of city council. “We have about $800,000 again this year in non-CDBG funds available.”

In recent years, the city of Wheeling has taken on paving projects that have included not only streets and portions of streets in neighborhoods throughout the city but also several city alleys in town that have not been paved for decades.

Herron said the Engineering Department is putting together the initial list of prioritized streets that are due for resurfacing this year. Those tentative lists will be submitted to city council members for their review and recommendation regarding streets that need attention in their wards.

“The engineering staff will be compiling that list and contacting each council person with their recommendations for your feedback on the upcoming paving contract for 2026,” Herron told council members.

In other action related to city streets, Wheeling City Council was scheduled to vote during its most recent meeting on two traffic ordinances for the area of Elm Grove around the Junior Avenue Bridge. One ordinance sought to create a two-hour parking zone on National Road in between Coal Avenue and the bridge, and another aimed at relocating the bus stop on National Road across from the bridge, moving it to the west closer to Coal Avenue.

However, council members moved to table both pieces of legislation when the ordinances came up for a second reading and a final vote.

Ward 6 Councilman Dave Palmer, who represents the Elm Grove neighborhood, indicated that the proposed traffic rule changes are intended to help create more parking for the businesses in the area of Junior Avenue. However, Palmer said he planned to meet with Ohio Valley Regional Transit Authority officials to make sure any changes that are made will still be in compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines.

“It was brought to my attention that there are certain ADA requirements for the bus stop,” Palmer said. “I’m going to meet with OVRTA to discuss whether we need to leave it where it’s at or if there’s an alternative place to move it. But this was the first that I was told of the ADA requirements, so we don’t want to do anything that will hamper traffic, but we’re still trying to create more parking for businesses in the area.”