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Bethlehem’s Chapel Road Bridge Deck Replacement Will Lead to I-470 Closures

BETHLEHEM — It sits 100 feet above Interstate 470, providing some of the best views in Ohio County, with lines of sight that stretch to The Highlands and into Ohio.

The Chapel Road Bridge in Bethlehem, constructed in 1972, has a precarious look to it, as it spans the interstate and its lower arch is anchored into the bedrock along I-470. It is one of two bridges that facilitates travel through the village where it is split by I-470, and it includes a walkway for pedestrians who don’t mind heights.

For motorists traveling west on I-470, the Chapel Road Bridge is the large span located on the uphill section prior to the Bethlehem exit.

Like much of the state’s infrastructure, though, the bridge has fallen into disrepair. The West Virginia Division of Highways plans to remedy that concern, as starting Monday, the bridge will be closed as the decking is replaced.

The project is scheduled to last through August, and will include periodic closures of I-470 to accommodate the decking demolition. The DOH is planning these closures for nighttime hours, with I-70 as the alternate route.

Trucks unable to use the Wheeling Tunnel because of their payload can take the W.Va. 2 exit off I-70 prior to the tunnel to access I-470 west. Trucks traveling east also can access W.Va. 2 off I-470 to I-70 east.

DOH District 6 Construction Engineer Joe Juszczak said the motoring public will be notified of any closures of I-470, and the warning signs along I-70 also will be utilized to alert travelers.

“Everyone will be fully aware of the closures,” Juszczak said, noting the deck removal phase should only last for several nights.

The Village’s View

A walk along the span shows it is well past its renovation date, as potholes, rusted metal and twisted fencing are in abundance. The replacement project will impact residents living on both sides of the span, but village Mayor Tim Bishop doesn’t see it as a major inconvenience.

“Any of our residents can see the shape of that bridge, its decking, its fence, its support system … it’s all certainly damaged,” Bishop said.

One area of concern for the village is a 6-inch main waterline that runs underneath the bridge, along the catwalk. Bishop said the village has worked with the DOH to ensure the catwalk would be upgraded and water service would not be interrupted.

In fact, the DOH will wrap the waterline in new insulation. Bishop also said the upgraded catwalk will make it much easier for village workers to access the water main in the future should it need repairs.

Bishop is asking residents to be patient while work takes place.

“It will impact us in small ways right now,” Bishop said. “Residents who live on Willow Lane, Pine Lane, and in that area, will have to go around to the Spruce Street Bridge (over I-470). Residents who live near the (water) tower on Chapel Road will just have to continue down past Bethlehem School and access the Spruce Street Bridge.”

The village coffers also could see about an extra $100,000 in Business and Occupation taxes from the contractors working on the project.

“So that’s great for us, because we can in turn use that money to pave roads, fix areas of the village that need it … and we’re going to have a refurbished bridge out of it,” he added.

One Down, One to Go

Once the Chapel Road Bridge project is completed, the DOH then will shift its efforts to a second deck replacement project on the nearby Spruce Street Bridge, which also spans above I-470 but at the interstate exits. Juszczak said the Spruce Street Bridge project is not scheduled to begin until the Chapel Road Bridge project is fully complete.

Both projects are part of a $6.1 million package to repair the two spans.

The DOH has not yet said what closures of I-470 could take place with the second project, as more information will be released closer to the start date.

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