Market Street in Downtown Wheeling Set To Reopen To Traffic on Monday
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WHEELING - Work on the new storm sewer installation along Market Street as part of the Downtown Streetscape Project in Wheeling is coming to an end, and for the first time in months, the full length of Market Street is expected to reopen to traffic by the end of the day on Monday.
While Streetscape work continues with sidewalk demolition and reconstruction on Market Street, at least one lane of this primary downtown traffic artery is expected to be open all the way from West Virginia Northern Community College to the Wheeling Tunnel, with no more detour.
For several months, motorists leaving downtown via Interstate 70 had to take a detour around the 1100 block and 1200 block of Market Street by going to Chapline Street and cutting down Lane 7 near Market Plaza to access the I-70 on ramps.
This past week, crews from Triton Construction of St. Albans, the general contractor for the West Virginia Division of Highway’s $32 million Downtown Streetscape Project in Wheeling, filled a long trench along Market Street between 12th Street and the area of Market Plaza where, over the course of the last few months, the new storm sewer was installed.
Prior to the closure of these two blocks of Market Street, the city blocks south of 12th Street to 16th Street were also closed to all traffic at different times during the storm sewer installation.
Although the Streetscape work is a WVDOH project, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron has been attending regular construction meetings with the state and the contractors, and the city has been providing regular updates about the progress of the transformative work that has turned the entire downtown area into a massive construction zone.
Crews from Triton Construction of St. Albans, W.Va., the general contractor for the West Virginia Division of Highway’s Downtown Streetscape Project in Wheeling, fill a trench along Market Street where a new storm sewer has been installed. On Monday, Market Street is expected to reopen to at least one lane of traffic for the first time in months. (Photo by Eric Ayres)
"Once the storm sewer crew is done, (Market) Street will be reopened with a new surface - at least on the trenchline," Herron reported last week, noting that the long patch on the upper end of Market Street will be similar to the one on the lower end. "If you look at the lower part of Market Street, it does significantly improve the surface area of that street."
With at least one lane of traffic resuming downtown, crews are expected to focus on sidewalks, landscaping and traffic signals before resurfacing eventually takes place. Sidewalk installation is nearing completion on Main Street, and trees and organic material are being placed in the bioswales.
"Landscaping has begun on Main Street for the Streetscape project," Herron said. "That is good news, as that was a key component in having the street paved at the end of June."
Officials said much of the Streetscape work will shift to Market Street after Main Street paving takes place, although a recent change order will require additional storm sewer installation in the upper portion of Main Street.
"The next item and probably the most disruptive for that paving schedule would be the storm sewer between Ninth and 10th streets," Herron said. "The crew that is currently finishing the storm sewer work on Market Street will immediately go to that location."
Herron said Main Street is still on schedule to begin paving in June.
Crews from Triton Construction of St. Albans, W.Va., the general contractor for the West Virginia Division of Highway’s Downtown Streetscape Project in Wheeling, install new trees into bioswales along the newly constructed sidewalks on Main Street this past week. (Photo by Eric Ayres)