Justice Attends Groundbreaking for $32 Million Downtown Wheeling Streetscape Project
Derek Redd Trending
WHEELING -- West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice says he's no stranger to rough terrain and riding an all-terrain vehicle through mountains and bad-road situations.
But in the past, he wished he had an ATV when driving in Wheeling.
Justice came to Wheeling Friday to assist in the city's official groundbreaking for its $32 million streetscape project.
"Honest to goodness, you had to have a four-wheeler to drive around here," he told a crowd gathered in Market Plaza. "That's just all there is to it.
"To see what's happening now makes me really proud. It makes me really happy to have been part of it."
Work is beginning to improve Main and Market streets between 10th and 16th streets downtown.
Construction involves the addition of ADA-compliant curb cuts at intersections, decorative brickwork along both streets, new traffic signals, and the placement of plants and trees.
One of Wheeling's attributes is that it has close proximity to a lot of the population, according to Justice.
"The other thing, Wheeling has been a town of real manufacturing for a long time. And we've got lots and lots of people (with businesses) who have been looking at West Virginia about coming," Justice said. "From the standpoint of the Northern Panhandle and this area, it is really appealing to these folks.
"Everybody wants to come to where their family can really enjoy the community they are living in."
He commended Ohio County Schools, calling Wheeling Park High School "a shining star on the hill beyond belief."
"But the next thing after the schools is the roads - always," Justice continued. "That's the standard of life, almost.
"With the proximity, and all the great workers (there is potential). We have the schools. If we get the roads we have a lot of opportunities here."
Justice called Wheeling "an incredible community."
"The people of Wheeling have been absolutely gracious to me," he said. "But from the first day I drove in here I thought, 'If we don't get this fixed, who is going to want to come to the city of Wheeling?' It was a shame.
"But this is a vibrant community that is very important to our state."
Justice was joined by West Virginia Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston and Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott for the groundbreaking.
Wriston said the streetscape project will have "a big impact up here."
"If you have been watching and enduring the traffic along (Interstate 70) over the past couple of years, you know how hard our people have been working," he said. "Now the end is near at the site up there, so now we just move into the next step and keep the beautification going.
"It is unbelievable how much impact we are having up here."
Elliott noted plans for the streetscape were already in the works when he took office six years ago, but proposed construction ran into delays along the way.
"This project would not have happened if the governor and the state didn't step up and say we're going to get it done," he said. "He took the steps to get this project going. It has grown in scope, and grown in complexity. The reason had to do with the design of the streets and how they lay right now.
"But when it's done it's going to be the most pedestrian-friendly downtown in the state. It's going to be a great flagship for West Virginia for people to get off of I-70 and drive right through it."
Sitting at Justice's side for much of the ceremony was his popular English bulldog, Babydog.
Behind the podium also was a sign that read "Road Work Ahead." The sign fell once during the ceremony with a bang and cause a stir among those attendees. Elliott and Wriston set it back on its post.
A few seconds later it fell a second time. This caused Babydog to jump from her chair and run to the governor's SUV dragging her leash behind her. She was later brought back for pictures and greetings from those present.
St. Albans-based Triton Construction Inc. last month was awarded the low bid for the streetscape project at $31.9 million -- $1.9 million above its estimated $30 million cost.
The city of Wheeling put up $1.9 million for the project, and the state Department of Transportation has been awarded a $16.3 million federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant for the project. The deadline to finish is November 2024.