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It was disappointing yet not unexpected when Jimmy Wriston, West Virginia's secretary of transportation, said publicly that the time for vehicular traffic on Wheeling's Suspension Bridge likely has passed. No official decision has yet been made, but when the state official in charge of bridges and highways is confident enough to say that on record, well, it's a clear indicator that a path has been chosen.
The people of Wheeling need this one last consideration before any final decision is made: Those in charge must exhaust every possible avenue for returning the Suspension Bridge to a vehicle-ready condition. It's clear the span, which will turn 175 years old this year, cannot tolerate grossly overweight vehicles crossing it again. A motor coach and a dump truck have nearly caused its end. But it's important to remind everyone how important that bridge is to downtown Wheeling and Wheeling Island.
Not only was it once the world's longest suspension bridge and the oldest vehicular suspension bridge still in use, it was a vital link for folks to get to and from Wheeling Island. When the Suspension Bridge was in operation, that gave motorists two points of entry and exit to the Island from the rest of the city.
Vehicles have not been allowed to traverse the span since 2019, and its absence as a driving option is felt every time traffic clogs exiting Wheeling Tunnel heading west. That exit off the Fort Henry Bridge onto Wheeling Island is currently motorists' lone point of entry and exit heading west. And with Wheeling Island Stadium and the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack there, along with many residents, having multiple points of ingress and egress is beyond essential.
Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott made a great point when he discussed the need to keep the Suspension Bridge classified as a roadway. The funds to help keep the bridge standing for years to come are much more plentiful in state coffers.
"At the end of the day, what is most important for Wheeling is to see the Suspension Bridge standing for another 175 years," Elliott said. "I have felt that the best way to do so was to keep it eligible for WVDOT funding by virtue of being a roadway instead of just a monument -- as West Virginia's budget for monuments is dramatically lower than its budget for roads. But hopefully a plan can be put in place that ensures that this bridge will have full access to WVDOT funds for the future."
If after all the research is done and the current $17.9 million renovation is complete the Suspension Bridge is found incapable of returning to vehicular use, it will be sad, but something the Wheeling community must accept. It is better to have the bridge remain standing as a monument to the city's rich history than to not have it standing at all.
Yet before that determination is made, those officials making that decision must be thorough in their investigation. Leave no angle ignored, no stone unturned. As important as that bridge is as a piece of the city and state's history, its value as a passage to and from Wheeling Island is even greater.