Photo by Derek Redd Workers install new traffic signals at the corner of Main and 14th streets Wednesday. Paving of Main Street is scheduled to begin Monday, June 17.

WHEELING – A major milestone in the Downtown Streetscape Project comes Monday, as paving will begin on Main Street.

The West Virginia Division of Highways announced Wednesday afternoon that Main Street between 10th and 16th streets will have its right lane closed starting Monday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Friday, June 21. Then, on Monday, June 24, through Friday, June 28, the left lane will be closed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for paving.

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said crews will start by milling the road, then go right into paving it.

“Main Street has been the subject of significant underground utility work,” Herron said. “To see the street surface ground down and resurfaced not only will make travel down Main Street significantly easier, but it will really show everyone what the finished product will look like.”

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the $32 million project came in September 2022 and work on Main and Market streets has been hot and heavy since then. Triton Construction of St. Albans has installed new sidewalks, put up new traffic signals and planted trees and other plants all along Main Street. Yet driving down that main artery of Wheeling has continued to be a bumpy ride.

City officials learned in February that bumpy ride would get a lot smoother a lot earlier than originally anticipated. Enough significant progress had been made that crews would begin paving in June, months ahead of the previous prediction.

Herron said Wednesday that the major schedule bump has been the product of a lot of coordination behind the scenes between the Division of Highways and its contractors.

Motorists are advised to slow down and expect slight delays while Main Street is being paved. Parking will not be permitted in the work zone.

Inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances may change the project schedule.

As for Market Street, the other major piece of the overall project, sidewalk work has begun and Herron said an update on progress there should come in the next several weeks. It is anticipated the street will be paved next summer.