City Plans Celebration for Washington Ave. Bridge Reopening

Photo by Eric Ayres

WHEELING - The city of Wheeling is hosting a community celebration next weekend to mark the long-awaited reopening of the Washington Avenue Bridge.

The party for people of all ages will take place from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, on the deck of the new bridge, which was completely reconstructed over the course of the past 10 months.

Situated between National Road and the Interstate 70 exit for WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital, Washington Avenue and its bridge over Wheeling Creek has been a major traffic artery for this part of the city, connecting the Woodsdale and Edgewood neighborhoods to the interstate, as well as Mount de Chantal and Wheeling Hospital roads and the neighborhood of Claytor. Impacted residents, business owners and commuters have endured the traffic disruption since last December, when the bridge was closed for replacement.

City officials in Wheeling had noted that a few weeks ago, there had been rumors circulating that the bridge project was behind schedule and that the work was not expected to be completed until the end of the year.

"That’s just not the case," Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said, noting work was ongoing despite a couple of hiccups and was actually done slightly ahead of schedule. "The original completion date was Oct. 26."

The community celebration will offer food trucks, live entertainment by local musicians Libby Adams and the band Punching Oswald, and more. Members of the Wheeling Park High School Marching Band will also join in the celebration. There will be a kids zone featuring a face painter, a balloon artist and other activities. For adults over 21, there will be beverages available for purchase with a credit or debit card.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 6 p.m., with the bridge officially reopening to traffic immediately following the festivities.

Even before the Washington Avenue Bridge was closed to traffic for the replacement work, there had been several issues with the span. The bridge had remained structurally sound and able to maintain vehicular traffic in recent years, but it has received poor ratings during inspections. This ultimately led to its load limit being reduced to only five tons. School buses and fire engines cannot cross the span with this weight limit, officials have noted.

The bridge was temporarily closed about four years ago while repairs were made to the structure in order to keep it open until plans were solidified to get it completely replaced.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation awarded a $5,342,000 contract to Charles J. Merlo Inc. of Mineral Point, Pa., for the work. In early January during the demolition of the bridge being replaced, crews were working on the deck of the structure with heavy machinery to remove sections of concrete when the bridge collapsed into the creek below, injuring three workers. State officials concluded that the heavy equipment exceeded the bridge’s 5-ton weight limit, leading to the structural failure.

Although the bridge collapse created a significant unplanned turn of events, demolition work continued and construction of the new bridge resumed on schedule.

Officials have noted the previous bridge at Washington Avenue had a unique design -- a floating cantilever design -- which is not favorable by today's standards and tends to be problematic in terms of maintenance issues. The new bridge is a concrete structure with steel beams supporting the deck.

The new bridge will be able to handle larger, heavier vehicles traveling through this stretch of Washington Avenue again for the first time in many years.

This section of Wheeling Creek is the dividing line between two city wards - Ward 4 and Ward 5. The councilmen representing those two wards on either side of the bridge both noted that their constituents will be very thankful that the new and improved span will soon be reopened.

"We’re very pleased to see the Washington Avenue Bridge reopen and this important connection restored for our residents," said Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis, councilman representing Ward 4 in the city. "We are especially mindful of the workers who were injured during this project, and we wish them continued recovery. We also appreciate the patience of the residents, community and businesses who have been impacted by the closure."

Councilman Ty Thorngate, representing Ward 5, stressed how important the Washington Avenue Bridge is to the city and the many travelers who use it on a daily basis.

"I don’t think you fully realize how much people depend on it until it’s closed," Thorngate said. "For the residents who use it every day, this reopening is a big deal, but I’m especially happy for the businesses along Washington Avenue and National Road."

Thorngate noted that residents in the area have had to weather two separate closures over the last several years.

"There’s no question that it’s had an impact on them," he said. "I really appreciate their patience through all of it. After nearly a year of this latest closure, I think it’s only fitting that we get the community together, have a little fun and celebrate finally getting our bridge back."

The celebration will take place rain or shine. Wheeling University at 316 Washington Avenue has made the parking lot at the McDonough Center available for those attending the celebration. Visitors should enter the campus through the main gate and follow the posted signs. Additional parking will be available at the St. Michael Angelus Center at 1225 National Road.