Ohioans Offer Span of Opinions About New Bridge
Christopher Dacanay Trending
BRILLIANT -- As the new Ohio River bridge's opening ceremony began at 8 a.m. Wednesday and continued throughout the day, Ohio residents contributed their views on the bridge's possible benefits and drawbacks.
The bridge, known for now as the Wellsburg-Brilliant Bridge until it receives an official name from the West Virginia Legislature, is scheduled to open to traffic around 9 a.m. today. Only time will tell what traffic at the bridge's new intersection with Brilliant's Third Street will bring.
Bill Walker has been a Brilliant resident all his life, and he has lived in his current house for 18 years.
That house is one of the only structures left at the western block on the corner of Third and Cleaver streets, which was reconfigured to lead onto and off of the new bridge.
If facing Walker's house, the lot to its right -- at the corner of the intersection -- is planned by the state of Ohio to be a park and ride, Walker said. To the house's left and rear are privately owned lots that were recently cleared.
Walker said the bridge's addition undoubtedly will help Brilliant with business, but the bridge will do "more harm than good" for him, particularly regarding parking. Walker's only available parking is on the grassy area before the Third Street sidewalk in front of his house -- that is how all the block's residents used to park, he said.
Walker said this parking method has the Wells Township Board of Trustees' approval, but it is up in the air whether the state of Ohio will approve now that Third Street has become a major traffic thoroughfare to and from the bridge.
Walker said the trustees have been good, but communication has been poor from the Ohio and West Virginia state officials regarding developments. He hopes the trustees can facilitate more open communication so he knows what to expect.
"I don't want to come out one day for work and there be a ticket on my car from state patrol," Walker said.
Also, Walker is concerned about traffic using Gilchrist Street behind his house, where his children play, to circumvent the bridge intersection's streetlights.
Nickie Short, a Brilliant resident, said the bridge's shortcut will help her reach her Pittsburgh workplace faster. However, she shared Walker's concern about cars using side streets to avoid the traffic lights. Separately, Short suggested the state of Ohio could demolish a nearby closed business -- the former Don's Restuarant and Cafeteria -- and use that property and its paved parking lot for the park and ride.
The individual who owns the properties around Walker's house is Reid Millard, owner of multiple businesses under Millard Family Cos. Millard said he hopes to start developing the properties near the bridge within a year, hopefully bringing in an ice cream shop, coffee shop, restaurant and new version of Millard's Garden and Gift Center, which his grandparents used to operate.
"After I'm gone, the (township trustees) will give the proceeds from anything out of these businesses to the kids here in town for the parks and (recreation)," Millard said. "I was born and raised here. The community did a lot for our family."
Other residents, like John Bumgardner of Rayland, expressed approval of the bridge's offering better access between Ohio and West Virginia. Bumgardner, at the bridge to see his granddaughter play with the Buckeye Local High School band, said the bridge will help him get to work in Weirton faster, with ongoing construction on the Veterans Memorial Bridge and Ohio 7.
Brilliant resident Amy Stock said her mother, Margaret Nickoson, had waited all her life for the new bridge but was away Wednesday, so she came with her daughter, Emily, to get photos and video of the festivities.
Looking forward to the span's opening, Stock said, "I've already mapped out how quick it will be to get to the Wellsburg DiCarlo's and Drovers Inn. Right now it's a half-hour. Now I think it will take me 12 minutes."
The new bridge will connect W.Va. 2 and Ohio 7, a connection that Wells Township Trustee Ben Batenburg said will benefit both states. He said Brilliant and Wells Township will benefit from the ability to reach shopping and other amenities in Wellsburg without having to drive long distances and loop around on other bridges. Also, the increased traffic coming into Brilliant can provide an opportunity for businesses to develop in the community.
"It's not an overnight build, but it'll happen," Batenburg said.
Township trustees will address traffic issues as they arise, Batenburg said. They have already begun looking into designating parts of Gilchrist Street near the bridge intersection as one-way roads. This would be to discourage semi-trucks from taking turns into the residential area that they are unable to make their way out of.
The Brilliant and Wellsburg volunteer fire departments came together for the celebration, providing two ladder trucks from which a large U.S. flag was hung.
But the departments' leaders expect more future collaboration than that.
Brilliant Fire Chief Brian Harvey said, "There have been talks with Wellsburg (emergency departments) about mutual aid for fires and accidents. We have been working with the state to clear some issues with insurance and worker compensation."
"We're actually closer to Wellsburg than we are to any other town we provide mutual aid to."
Warren Scott contributed to this story.