Brooke commissioners considering their preference for bridge project
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WELLSBURG - Officials with the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission are continuing their efforts to bring together a concensus on a possible location for a proposed span to replace the Market Street Bridge.
Mike Paprocki, BHJ executive director, appeared before Brooke County commissioners Wednesday morning, hoping for their support on the preferred South Street alternative.
"As you know, I’ve been to several of the cities," Paprocki said, referring to previous resolutions in support of the option from Steubenville, Weirton, and Follansbee. "I’ve been asked to come down here and ask for your support."
Seven alternatives had initially been proposed in an effort to replace the Market Street Bridge, which was closed to traffic in December 2023 as a result of continued deterioration in its support structure. A pair of public comment meetings and field study reviews including local, state, and federal representatives, has narrowed down the preferences as planners consider location, cost, and effective service to communities.
"I believe South Street is the popular option," Brooke Commission President Tommy Diserio said.
In information released by BHJ in August, the option referred to as the South Street alternative would have an estimated cost of $177,542,000, and has favorable roadway grades from Ohio Route 7 and the Third Street intersection in Steubenville. It also is the preferred option of the U.S. Coast Guard, providing an 800-foot horizontal navigation clearance on the Ohio River.
"Looking through the alternatives, one that was brought up as a criteria to look at was to connect the two highways," Paprocki said, indicating a need to ensure the bridge has a way to intersect or lead to both West Virginia Route 2 and Ohio Route 7.
The South Street alternative would be able to do so, he explained, through a planned intersection realignment involving South Third Street and Route 7 in Steubenville. The bridge itselt is not set to align with South Street iself, despite the name.
Paprocki indicated there would be a need of 24 to 25 feet over existing rail lines, which would require the bridge’s intersection with W.Va. Route 2 to be raised by approximately two feet from the road’s current height.
"Years ago, when the hillside was brought down in the mid-90s, they did lower Route 2 to make it consistent with the intersection at Market Street," he said, referring to work which began the process of expanding Route 2 to four lanes between Follansbee and Weirton.
Water-based commerce also plays a role in the selection, as the new bridge would need an adequate clearance on the river under U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
"The river industry preferred the most southern bridge alternative," he said. "As we went farther north, it would require a longer bridge stucture which would increase the costs."
Overall, the option provides the most flexibility for planning, Paprocki said.
Diserio indicated it would be his preferred option, as well, although a formal decision by the commission was not made Wednesday.
"I personally agree the South Street option is probably the better of the five or six options that were presented," he said, indicating his belief it would provide for the best flow of traffic north of Follansbee and south of Steubenville.
The Veterans Memorial Bridge, meanwhile, would continue to provide an avenue for traffic north of Steubenville and into Weirton.
Paprocki did raise the concern over the remaining lifetime of the Veterans Memorial Bridge, which originally opened to traffic in 1990, and, in recent years, has had to undergo several maintenance projects including the ongoing replacement of one of its cables. A similar bridge in Alabama, he said, has already undergone the replacement of all of its support cables.
"Right now we’re looking at maybe a three to five year break of work being done on this bridge. When does the deck get replaced? When do more cables get replaced? When does this bridge outlive its lifetime? For that reason, we need a second avenue to get across the Ohio River," Paprocki said. "The Wellsburg Bridge serves its purpose, but it was never meant to be a replacement for the Market Street Bridge."
Commissioner Christina White emphasized concerns of the future of the Veterans Bridge, and the larger and heavier traffic it holds, is an important factor in making a decision on a preference for the Market Street replacement.
"That also explains why it must be a much larger bridge," she said, referring to current plans for the new bridge crossing to carry four lanes of traffic with a 60-foot deck. "That’s a question a lot of people ask."
The project has received $87 million, primarily from federal sources, and has a commitment of support from West Virginia, but more work is needed to close the gap before construction can begin.
"Our next hurdle is to get Ohio involved in this," Paprocki said, expressing hope of a better dialogue under the incoming administration in Columbus.
According to timelines previously presented by the West Virginia Department of Transportation, engineering and environmental work for the replacement project should continue through 2027, with the development of contract plans and rights-of-way acquisitions running through 2028, and construction potentially being complete sometime in 2031.
(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)