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It only took six weeks, but finally the West Virginia Division of Highways can get a contractor in to inspect the Market Street Bridge, one of three spans over Wheeling Creek into the downtown.
A construction crew this week removed numerous bags of burned debris from underneath the span. That debris was part of a homeless encampment that caught fire in early June and led to the bridge's closure. The decking on the span is made of an experimental fiberglass-type product that state officials fear was damaged during the fire.
"We don't have a date at the moment as to when the inspection will take place. The debris has been removed and we can move forward with an inspection now," Tony Clark, DOH District 6 engineer, said.
The past few weeks have shown the importance of getting this span reopened, as the Main Street Bridge into Center Wheeling was inaccessible while crews worked at 16th and Main streets. During that time, the only access to downtown from the south was over the Chapline Street bridge.
State officials need to get the bridge inspected immediately, and opened as soon as possible.