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Local and state officials recently conducted field reviews of the proposed locations for a new crossing to replace the Market Street Bridge.
In a newsletter update on the project released Thursday, Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission Executive Director Mike Paprocki provided an update on the process.
The field reviews were held July 23, with representatives of BHJ, HDR Engineering, the West Virginia Division of Highways, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the City of Follansbee and the City of Steubenville taking part.
"Walking the corridors together allowed the project team to evaluate engineering and environmental conditions firsthand as part of the ongoing planning process," Paprocki explained. "The group also discussed the need for the local communities to come together and collectively agree with a preferred alternative for the Market Street Bridge's future location."
Seven alternatives have been proposed for the bridge project, with one option being the rehabilitation of the existing Market Street Bridge - an option already ruled to be unfeasible because of structural deterioration of the bridge - with another option being to not build a new crossing.
Of the remaining options: Alternative 1 would connect the bridge from West Virginia Route 2 to Ross Street in Steubenville; Alternative 2 would connect at Logan Street; Alternative 3 would be at Washington Street; Alternative 4 at Market Street; and Alternative 5 at South Street.
"Each alternative presents unique opportunities and challenges considering the proposed new structure will be a modern bridge constructed 36-feet wide for three traffic lanes with two 6-feet shoulders and a 10-feet shared use path for pedestrians and bicyclists," Paprocki said, explaining such dimensions could result in a 58-feet-wide bridge - more than 37 feet wider than the existing Market Street Bridge.
Building new at Market Street, at an estimated cost of $170,535,000, presents roadway width concerns, as well as issues of large trucks navigating to and from the bridge into downtown Steubenville, while presenting potential environmental impacts to nearby buildings and properties.
Washington Street, with a possible $772,312,000 cost, could have issues of clearance and width constraints from the railroad, along with impacting existing structures and properties. Other issues are existing access to the Steubenville wastewater treatment facility and the Jefferson County Justice Center.
Logan Street has an estimated cost of $173,485,000. It has potential impacts to local businesses and schools, along with going into a residential area, with officials noting a grade of more than 5 percent from the east end of the street would be needed for vertical clearance over the railroad and river.
There is a potential $166,471,000 price tag for the Ross Street option, with officials noting a significant impact to a historic neighborhood, along with the need for "substantial reconstruction" to heighten Ohio Route 7 to allow for the needed clearance.
South Street, with an estimated cost of $177,542,000, would have favorable roadway grades, according to officials, from Route 7 and the Third Street intersection. The U.S. Coast Guard prefers the option, as it would provide an 800-foot horizontal navigation clearance on the river.
The no build alternative would include a cost of $6,700,000 for the demolition of the existing Market Street Bridge.
The field work follows a pair of public meetings, allowing area residents to offer their thoughts on the proposed bridge options. Paprocki notes there were 133 individuals attending the meetings, with 355 comments offered, either through the meetings or followup submissions.
"The majority of responses were overwhelmingly positive toward restoring this Ohio River crossing and reconnecting our communities," Paprocki said. "Most comments consistently recognized the bridge’s importance for emergency response, public safety, economic vitality, local business support, transportation reliability, and pedestrian / bicyclist connectivity. However, several respondents had differing opinions on a preferred location outside the scope of the presented alternatives."
From those comments, Alternative 4 received the most support with 92 comments from the public, followed by Alternative 5 with 47 comments. Another 150 comments supported the need for a new bridge without offering a specific preferred location.
Officials note, to date, the only alternative to be removed from consideration is the option to rehab the existing Market Street Bridge. HDR and WVDOH are continuing to evaluate the six other options.
The Market Street Bridge was closed to traffic in December 2023 after routine inspections identified continuing deterioration in some of the bridge’s cable anchorages.
According to timelines presented by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, engineering and environmental work for the replacement project should continue through 2027, with the development of contract plans and rights-of-way acquisitions running through 2028, and construction potentially being complete sometime in 2031.