photo by: Eric Ayres

The Nailers Way entrance to the Intermodal Parking Garage in downtown Wheeling is closed while crews perform repair and preventative maintenance work on the structure.

WHEELING — Parking garages in downtown Wheeling are expected to remain open — at least partially — while crews perform scheduled repair and preventative maintenance work on them.

Crews from Carl Walker Construction Inc. of Pittsburgh have been working at the Intermodal Parking Garage on Main Street over the past several weeks. Although some access to the structure has been limited while maintenance work proceeds, the public has still been able to utilize the garage for parking.

“There are entrance closures at the Intermodal,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said, noting that last week, the Nailers Way entrance to the garage was closed. “However, the parking structure is open, and access can be obtained through the Main Street side of the building.”

Herron said work currently being performed at the site will continue for the next couple of weeks, with the Nailers Way entrance slated to reopen Aug. 9.

“The Intermodal work will be done the first week of September,” Herron noted of the overall completion of the repair and maintenance at the garage. “After this week and next, addressing expansion joints in the stairwells will be the only remaining work there.”

Late this past winter, Wheeling City Council awarded two separate contracts to Carl Walker Construction for five-year repair and preventative maintenance plan work at the two existing city owned downtown parking garages. The contract for the Intermodal garage repair was in the amount of $584,852, and the contract for the 10th Street Parking Garage maintenance was for $342,000.

According to the city manager, the contractor will mobilize on the 10th Street Parking Garage repairs next week, with repairs focused on the top two levels.

“The 10th Street Garage will be going through some significant maintenance,” Herron said. “For the most part, the decks on that structure will be at least half open, but there could be occasions where the entire floor is closed in that structure – particularly in the upper floor as they work on that. We’ll keep the public posted as to the schedule on that particular maintenance project.”

Carl Walker Construction is also completing the $12.3 million construction of the new Market Street Parking Garage at the corner of 11th Street and Market Street downtown. Meanwhile in Center Wheeling, crews from Reclaim Company LLC of Fairmont continue dismantling the Center Wheeling Parking Garage near the former Ohio Valley Medical Center.