The new look of downtown Wheeling truly is coming into focus. All new streets and sidewalks, those odd (yet functional when it actually rains) bioswales that now are less weeds and more plants, and new and planned construction throughout Main and Market streets are leading to a level of optimism not felt in years.

Yet one piece remains missing. The downtown Wheeling wants — no, in fact, the downtown Wheeling needs — must include a reopened Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

The 176-year-old span stands as more than a historic engineering marvel — it is woven into the very fabric of our community. Opened in 1849, it was the first bridge spanning the Ohio River and remains perhaps the most consequential antebellum civil engineering structure in the nation.

Yet since September 2019, following several incidents of overweight vehicles damaging the span, the bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic, limiting its role to pedestrian use alone.

The West Virginia Division of Highways did use the past six years wisely, investing $17.9 million into rehabilitating the span. The project restored structural integrity, enhanced lighting, addressed anchorage concerns, and rejuvenated its aesthetic charm — reviving a vital piece of our city’s history.

With that work and demolition of the adjacent Wheeling Inn now complete, all physical barriers to reopening have been cleared — and yet, we still await a decision from the state as to the span’s future.

Here’s why reopening must be prioritized:

– The bridge is a lifeline for Wheeling Island residents — particularly for access to the new and improved downtown. Currently, the only direct vehicular access downtown off the Island is via Interstate 70.

– Practicality matters more than nostalgia. As utility recreational vehicles — side-by-sides, for example — gain popularity, Island residents now encounter no legal means to access downtown except the interstate — where UTVs are prohibited. Reopening the bridge would restore access for those that chose to use a UTV for their travels.

– The bridge is not just community infrastructure — it is a driver of downtown’s economic vitality. With the planned Wheeling Gateway Visitor and Heritage Center rising on the site of the former Wheeling Inn, the bridge won’t merely be seen; it will be celebrated — and functional. A pedestrian-only span would diminish its role as a gateway, limiting its ability to draw traffic, tourism, and economic activity.

Of course, public safety and preservation must guide any decision. The West Virginia Division of Highways must weigh the long-term maintenance demands for vehicular use to return to the span. And once that’s done, a system needs installed to stop tour buses, dump trucks and the like from inadvertently traversing the span.

This much is clear: the benefits of reopening the span outweigh the costs. Restoring vehicular access will improve emergency and everyday mobility, bolster local commerce, and breathe new life into a historic asset that ties together Wheeling’s past and future.

The time for delay is over. The community has rallied around downtown, private investments have been made, and now it’s time to move and reopen the bridge.

The Wheeling Suspension Bridge is more than steel and cable; it is a promise that we can honor our heritage while propelling our community forward.

A downtown Wheeling we all can be proud of includes a reopened Wheeling Suspension Bridge.