State Funds Received to Design Hempfield Tunnel Rehab

Photo by Eric Ayres

WHEELING - The Hempfield Tunnel may likely be on the path to a long-awaited, long-term restoration project in the near future, as state funding for the engineering and design for its rehabilitation has been received by the city of Wheeling.

Located on the Heritage Trail in Wheeling near Tunnel Green, the historic Hempfield Tunnel has been a key feature on the city’s popular rails-to-trails recreational route, but the aging landmark has experienced its share of problems - resulting in a temporary closure for safety concerns about two years ago.

In recent years, water drainage issues and even some falling bricks from the ceiling of the tunnel’s interior had become an issue. The tunnel was closed to the public in December of 2023, but repairs were made to structurally concerning sections of the tunnel, which was reopened to the public later the following spring.

For many years, however, city leaders have been hoping for a more permanent solution to stabilize the tunnel. This month, the city announced that state funding has been secured, offering a light at the end of the tunnel that could lead to a long-term fix.

"I’m happy to report that the state of West Virginia Department of Highways has awarded a Transportation Alternative Program grant - which is commonly referred to as a TAP grant - for engineering and design for the restoration of the Hempfield Tunnel on the Heritage Trail system," said Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron. "It’s a $150,000 grant that requires a $30,000 match, but it will enable us to hire an engineer to go in and design a permanent restoration of the tunnel, and then hopefully we will receive a TAP construction grant to finish that project."

Two years ago before patching of problem areas brought a temporary solution to safety concerns, early estimates for repairing the tunnel hovered around $500,000. Officials this month indicated that a restoration project with a permanent fix is expected to cost much more.

"It’s about a $1 million restoration," Herron said.

Following the Hempfield Tunnel’s closure in December of 2023, members of the public urged the city to find a solution to reopen it, as the tunnel connects the eastern and western neighborhoods of town via Heritage Trail. The Ohio Valley Trail Partners and local biking enthusiasts emphasized the value of the tunnel’s access to open up miles of recreational trail usage from East Wheeling through to Clator and other neighborhoods to the west end of the city and ultimately to the trail’s terminus in Elm Grove.

The city used $84,000 from its Project Fund to hire National Gunite of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to rehab the tunnel back in early 2024. A concrete-like mix of material was utilized to patch areas where water seepage has caused bricks to come loose, officials indicated.

"The restoration work that we did was temporary, but it held up very nicely," Herron said.

Availability of the TAP grant will at least allow the city to initiate design work for a long-term solution.

"We’re going to be able to start that process here in the next few months," Herron noted, explaining that the city has explored a number of funding sources to help bring a permanent fix to the Hempfield Tunnel’s issues. "The last couple of years, we requested a Congressionally Directed Spending allocation for the tunnel, but have not been successful."

City leaders said they are hopeful that a WVDOH could be an alternate route for funding - not just for design but also for the entire rehabilitation of the tunnel.

"The TAP grant program is the program that is funding the Robrecht Park project," Herron explained. "We received $1.7 million for that project. The fact that we received the design and engineering or planning grant (for the Hempfield Tunnel repair) bodes well for a construction grant down the road."

Herron explained that the state’s TAP grant specifically targets community projects that improve infrastructure that includes recreational features like Heritage Trail.

"There’s a section of the grant application that deals with rails to trails and park projects that enable us to apply, but they have to be tied to some type of alternative transportation, in this case - obviously - bikes and walking," he said.

Initially constructed in 1857 as part of the Hempfield Railroad, the tunnel was rebuilt in 1904-05 after the B&O Railroad purchased the rail line. It remained in service until 1987, and in the 1990s, the tracks were removed. The former railroad line became a rails-to-trails project later in the ’90s, when the Wheeling Heritage Trail was opened.

The tunnel for decades has been part of local and regional lore as it has been considered by many to be haunted. Reports of apparitions and ghost sightings in the tunnel have been documented in publications dating back to the mid- to late-1800s. In fact, the Hempfield Tunnel is one of many stops included on the West Virginia Tourism’s statewide Paranormal Trail, featuring popular haunts and some of the most spooky destinations throughout the Mountain State.