photo by: Eric Ayres

Work on the rehabilitation of the historic Monument Place Bridge in Elm Grove is set for completion in the coming weeks. The long-awaited project has brought significant structural improvements to the state’s oldest bridge.

WHEELING — Crews are wrapping up work on the multimillion-dollar restoration of the Monument Place Bridge in Elm Grove, and although the surface will appear fresh and new to motorists, the stone structure supporting remains a true piece of West Virginia history.

Work on the bridge is expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks, and state officials anticipate this portion of National Road in Wheeling’s westernmost neighborhood to reopen by mid-November. It will be the first time in about five months that the main traffic artery through Elm Grove will be open to motorists.

The $3.8 million restoration project began around Memorial Day this year, and motorists driving through this area have had to detour around the busy section of town ever since then.

Built in 1817 by pioneer Col. Moses Shepherd as part of the National Road, the Monument Place Bridge – also known as the Stone Bridge – is the oldest bridge in the state of West Virginia. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Over the many decades, the historic bridge – built long before the dawn of automobiles – has undergone improvements on several occasions. Concrete sidewalks were added to it in 1931. In 1958, a concrete veneer was added.

Transportation Public Information Specialist Jake Flatley of the West Virginia Division of Highways, relaying information provided by DOH District 6 engineers, said that although structural restoration has been at the forefront of the project, historic preservation has also been a key element to the effort to rehabilitate the historic bridge.

“The State Historic Preservation Office was involved in the project to ensure historical integrity was maintained and the overall aesthetic was matched,” he said. “All original, non-deteriorated stones remain in the arch with the other approximately 80 stones having been provided by the city of Wheeling. The stones will be coated with a clear sealant to protect from future chlorides.”

Aside from work to keep the 207-year-old span intact and protected, crews performed a significant amount of work both on the surface and down below in the creek.

“The existing stone infill was removed and replaced with lightweight concrete, the deteriorated deck was replaced with new concrete and chromium rebar, a new barrier wall that meets current crash-worthy standards was installed, the sewer line that ran through the bridge was relocated, and the foundations were improved to prevent future scour,” Flatley said.

Renovation on the project took years to move forward and was in the planning phase for even longer. State officials described the Monument Bridge project as being “over decade in the making” considering environmental and historical clearances for the work. The rehabilitation job was originally planned as a 2021 project, and Clearwater Construction of Mercer, Pennsylvania, was awarded the bid back then. The WVDOH at that time was completing the Interstate-70 Bridges Project at that time, and delays beset the Stone Bridge project while work was being done on the major interstate renovation.

A legal dispute with an adjacent property owner over an easement also delayed the Monument Bridge project. Earlier this year, the state again paused the beginning of the work there because another bridge project in Elm Grove left the Kruger Street Bridge closed for two months this past spring. Out of consideration for local motorists, officials opted against having both bridges closed for repairs at the same time.

Those traveling through Elm Grove over the past five months have used I-70 as a detour around the closed bridge. Others have used Junior Avenue and Lumber Avenue to get from one side of Little Wheeling Creek to the other.

Some initial dates put the project’s completion at the end of this year, but work has been moving along at the site, and hopeful speculation has eyed the reopening of the bridge as early as the next week or two.

“Work on the Monument Bridge is still effectively on schedule,” Flatley said. “The projected completion date is mid-November.”

Motorists in the area have been patient while the project has disrupted traffic in Elm Grove’s business district, but most are expected to be greatly relieved once the bridge work is finished and the roadway hosts free-flowing traffic once again.

“The residents of Elm Grove look forward to the opening of the renovated Monument Bridge,” said Ward 6 Wheeling City Councilman Dave Palmer, whose ward includes the affected Elm Grove neighborhood. “We’re excited to see what kind of festivities the Division of Highways has in store for the reopening of the oldest bridge in West Virginia.”