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As one historic Wheeling span prepares for repairs that will help secure its future, another is set to come down.
West Virginia Division of Highways District 6 manager Charlie Reynolds said the Aetnaville Bridge, which served as a crossing point from Wheeling Island to Ohio, will be demolished starting next July.
The bridge has been closed to traffic since 1988 but continued to serve as a crossing point for pedestrians and cyclists. Structural concerns led to it being fenced off in 2016, but that hasn't stopped folks from still finding a way across.
"We've had some problems with people still crossing it, cutting the gates open and coming through," Reynolds said. "We even had a track team running across it. It's in pretty bad shape. When you leave something like that sit, it just gets worse and deteriorates over time."
The $2.5 million investment is worthwhile considering the safety concerns the span poses.
Looking to the future, state officials do need to begin considering additional crossing options for Wheeling Island. As it stands today, the only points of access are Interstate 70 and the back-channel bridge. The Island is home to nearly 3,000 people and local entertainment venues such as Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack and Wheeling Island Stadium. And with the Wheeling Suspension Bridge's future unclear, more needs to be done to consider options for access.