Section of Heritage Trail Closed for Gateway Center Work

Photo by Eric Ayres

WHEELING - Fencing has been put in place around a portion of Wheeling Heritage Trail that will remain temporarily closed while the initial phases of construction of the new Gateway Center get underway.

On Monday, the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau, in coordination with the city of Wheeling, announced that fencing has been erected across both sides of Heritage Trail below the construction site. This portion of the trail is located approximately between the area of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge and the area just south of the Fort Henry Bridge.

Officials said the 6-foot chain-link fence was installed Monday morning and runs from the hillside down to the river, fully blocking the closed segment of the trail.

There will be no bicycle or pedestrian pass-through, officials noted. Detours have been posed to allow trail users to bypass the temporarily closed section by diverting to Main Street.

Sidewalks around the Gateway Center property will also be closed, with no pedestrian access permitted. Pedestrians must use sidewalks on the other side of Main Street, officials noted. There will be no public parking around the perimeter of the construction site.

"We want to thank the city of Wheeling for the partnership and the close collaboration on these logistics," said Frank O’Brien, executive director of the Wheeling-Ohio County Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Closing a stretch of the trail beside the historic Suspension Bridge is an inconvenience, and we do not take that lightly."

The temporary closure of this section of the Wheeling Heritage Trail is expected to continue for several months into next year. Work on this portion of the Gateway Center project is scheduled to be ongoing into early next summer. Special accommodations will be made for the annual events of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine that are scheduled to take place in May 2027.

"In the short term, we’re asking walkers and riders to stay away from the site and follow the city-approved detour," O’Brien said.

Officials urged trail users to not attempt to cross the construction site on the trail.

"Anyone who reaches the fencing must not attempt to climb over, go around or pass through it in any way," the CVB announced on Monday. "They must instead turn around and follow the posted detour. Signs mounted on both sides of the fencing note that the area is monitored by security cameras and that trespassers will be prosecuted."

The closure of the trail is a mandatory safety requirement so construction crews can safely begin the extensive site work needed to rebuild the hillside between the Suspension Bridge, Main Street and the trail, officials noted. The elevation change is roughly 40 feet from Main Street to the trail, and crews are planning to move a substantial volume of earth, construct new retaining walls and build an elevator tower that will provide a future accessible route from the Suspension Bridge and new Gateway Center down to Heritage Trail along the river.

In 2023, the CVB purchased the Main Street property adjacent to the Suspension Bridge that once was occupied by the old Wheeling Inn hotel. The hotel has since been razed, and the property has been cleared.

Last month, the Wheeling CVB signed a $15.8 million construction contract with Stonemile Group for the initial phase of the project. The work is expected to take 16 months, beginning along the waterfront with the trail connector and working up the hillside toward construction of the shell of the building.

The overall plans for the Gateway Center call for a new visitors center showcasing local history, viewing platforms overlooking the bridge and the Ohio River, a connector tower complete with stairs and an elevator to access the Wheeling Heritage Trail along the waterfront below, as well as a restaurant in the multi-level center complex and more.

Officials split the development into seven different construction phases. The initial contract is expected to address the first two phases - including construction of the shell of the building and the trail connector, along with stabilization of the retaining wall. Funding for future phases of the project - including outfitting the different levels of the building, landscaping and other work - is being assembled.

The site preparation that is soon to unfold will be followed by the connector construction, which O’Brien noted was a key feature of the project that community members highlighted during a public input session in the planning phases of the venture.

"This is how we can deliver the community’s highest priority from our 2024 community engagement sessions, which is a direct connection from the Historic Suspension Bridge, the new Gateway Center and down to the Heritage Trail, including an accessible route that does not exist on this bank today," O’Brien said. "This will make our destination one of the most accessible stops along the Interstate-70 corridor and create one of the best historical and waterfront experiences for both our residents and visitors for many years to come."

Detour signs are posted at various locations of the trail. Those traveling south on the trail should exit at Fifth Street and follow Fifth Street to Main Street, then re-enter the trail at Heritage Port. Southbound pedestrians may also climb the stairs at Eighth Street near the North Wheeling Fire Station. Those traveling north should exit the trail at Heritage Port and walk north on Main Street or cycle up Market Street before re-entering the trail at Fifth Street.

Progress of the Gateway Center project can be viewed online. A site camera has been repositioned and has gone live as of Monday. The live cam site is available at https://wheelinggateway.tippingpointdev.com.

"Anyone can watch the hillside work, the new retaining walls and the trail connection take shape next to the historic suspension bridge," the CVB and its project consultant, Tipping Point, noted.

The project team will also post weekly community updates as construction progresses on the site. Those interested can visit the same website to subscribe to the project newsletter for weekly progress updates, to view project renderings or to submit a question about the trail detour.