Trending
WHEELING - Officials with the West Virginia Division of Highways this week agreed to delay the closure of the Stone Arch Bridge at Monument Place in Elm Grove while another bridge closure in the same neighborhood takes place.
Earlier this past week, WVDOH District 6 announced that the Kruger Street Bridge on County Route 21 - Marshall Avenue - would be closed beginning Monday, March 18, and continuing through Friday, May 17, for bridge maintenance. The detour will take motorists to an alternate route on W.Va. 88 to Mil Acres Drive.
The announcement caused initial concerns for Elm Grove motorists in light of the fact that the anticipated closure of the Monument Place Bridge on National Road also appeared to be proceeding after initial delays. The state just recently announced that maintenance work on the historic Stone Arch Bridge - a 207-year-old span that is the oldest bridge in West Virginia - would be moving forward this month.
"I contacted the state and asked them to reconsider closing both bridges at the same time," said Wheeling City Councilman Dave Palmer, who represents the Ward 6 neighborhood of Elm Grove. "I can’t thank the state enough for their consideration in working through the logistics of it. I commend the local District 6 officials for working it out."
Palmer said the state agreed to complete the Kruger Street maintenance first before work on the Monument Place bridge proceeds. On Friday, the WVDOH released a statement confirming this scheduling adjustment.
Once the Kruger Street bridge project is completed, the Monument Bridge on U.S. 40 in Elm Grove will be closed beginning on May 20 and will remain closed through the end of the year. The completion date for the project is slated for Dec. 30, and motorists will be advised to follow detour signs and use alternative routes on U.S. 40 (National Road) and Interstate 70 eastbound to the Washington Avenue exit.
Both bridges are on key traffic arteries in Elm Grove, and the bridge repairs are expected to result in some traffic challenges, Palmer noted. The closure of the Kruger Street Bridge, while necessary for scheduled maintenance, will cut off the main access to the Mar-Win and Mil Acres portions of the neighborhood on the west side of Wheeling Creek, including destinations such as Cardinal Health and Elm Grove Elementary.
The detour will divert traffic to a five-point intersection near Wheeling Fire Station No. 11 on Bethlehem Boulevard (W.Va. 88) to access these areas.
"There’s no traffic light there," Palmer noted, explaining that officials have continued to look at ways to improve this busy intersection that is about to get even busier. "There was a bus drivers’ meeting this morning to discuss changes to routes. We also have to consider issues with emergency responders for these areas."
Work on the Stone Arch Bridge originally was set to begin in July 2021, but the project was put on the back burner following a number of delays, including legal issues pertaining to access to the bridge needed from a neighboring property. Snags related to that issue were settled to allow the work on the historic span to move forward.
"I think everyone understands this maintenance work needs to be done," Palmer said. "A lot of our infrastructure is old, and we can’t let it fall into disrepair."
Officials from the WVDOH could not be reached for comment on Friday.
The Kruger Street Bridge in Wheeling’s Elm Grove neighborhood is scheduled to be closed for maintenance for two months starting in mid-March. The West Virginia Division of Highways has agreed to delay the closure of the bridge at Monument Place on National Road, which is also scheduled for closure for needed maintenance. (Photo by Eric Ayres)