Traffic has backed up on the eastbound side of National Road in the Fulton section of Wheeling mostly during late afternoon drive time this week as a result of the I-70 Bridges Project local detour being put into effect Monday. The Wheeling Police Department is working with the West Virginia Division of Highways to help mitigate the traffic situation. Photo by Scott McCloskey

WHEELING — For the businesses in the Fulton section of Wheeling — where motorists have been diverted road construction shut down a section of Interstate 70 East near the area — it pretty much has been business as usual.

The I-70 Bridges Project’s local detour has led to traffic backups on National Road between Mount de Chantal Road and Wheeling Hill, mostly during peak drive times. It’s not the first time, though. The project earlier shut down a portion of westbound I-70 and pushed traffic to National Road at that time as well.

Yet while some businesses have neither felt a crunch due to heavy traffic, nor a boost because of more motorists on the path, at least one business along the detour has seen a drop in customers.

Generations Restaurant and Pub owner Michael Duplaga III said overall the detour traffic doesn’t really affect his business very much. He said while the detour obviously brings a much heavier traffic flow past the restaurant, it hasn’t experienced any significant change in business.

Duplaga said Generations experienced just a slight bump in business during the first few weeks of the westbound local detour last year.

After that, new customers traveling the detour would stop in the restaurant sporadically.

“After the first two or three weeks, it settled down, it was kind of status quo,” he said. “It was back to normal. People pretty much navigated through the city the best way suited for them.”

“Wheeling is not a huge place,” he added when asked about how the detour will work this time around. “I think it will be fine.”

Fulton Tire Owner Patsy Dicesare echoed Duplaga’s comments, saying business has been steady at his long-time tire and service shop. While at times traffic backup can make it a little harder for customers to pull in and out of his lot, Dicesare said the detour has not really affected his business.

“It backs up between about 8 to 9:30 a.m., it’s bumper to bumper, and then it’s a steady flow after that, and then from probably about 2:30 to 3 p.m. it’s bumper to bumper until about 5 to 5:30 p.m.,” Dicesare explained.

Perkins Restaurant, which is located next to the National Road/Mount de Chantal Road interchange has seen fewer patrons due to detour traffic, according to a manager there who declined to give her name. She said she believes that, with Exit 2A East being closed for nine more months, more drivers are using I-470 as an alternate route.

That diminishes the numbers of potential customers coming from the interstate. Exit 2A runs directly behind the restaurant. She also mentioned that with the detour occurring at the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic, it has amplified the decrease in business over the past 10 months.

Wheeling Police Department Public Information Officer Philip Stahl said the department is aware of the traffic back-up on the detour route during morning and afternoon drive times. Officials are working to remedy problem areas as soon as possible.

Stahl said the intersection at National Road and Mount de Chantal Road seems to be the area where traffic back-ups begin and are the most prevalent.

“We’re working with the (West Virginia) Division of Highways to see if they can sort of mitigate that area a little bit,” Stahl said, “by trying to encourage those who are trying to turn right to use the right lane only and those who are traveling straight ahead on National Road to use the left lane.”

Stahl said they are working to see if more signs can be placed at that intersection, encouraging drivers straight to stay in the left lane. Then those in the right lane to take advantage of turning right on red when the situation permits.

“Afternoon drive seems to be more impactful than the morning commute,” Stahl said.”Right around when school gets out — that seems to be the time when things back up.”