WHEELING, W.Va. — A stretch of Interstate-70 Westbound in Wheeling is officially shut down and will be that way for the next nine months.
The closure at Exit 2A/Oglebay Park through the Wheeling Tunnel went into effect at 9:30 a.m. Monday. All traffic then began being detoured on to U.S Route 40/National Road through the Fulton section of Wheeling.
Wheeling Police Department Public Information Officer Philip Stahl admits there will be traffic issues in the coming days but believes those may lessen as time goes on.
“We are hoping that once people get into the grove of this for the next nine months, figure out what time they need to leave, figure out what route they need to take…it will be smooth sailing,” Stahl told MetroNews.
The closure comes amid the roughly $180 million I-70 Ohio County Bridges Project that will try to enhance the condition on 26 bridges and ramps. The interstate has to close as crews completely tear down the Fulton Bridge on the route and build a new one.
The detour for the project that drivers will have to use through November will have seven intersections with traffic lights.
Getting off the I-70 first, travelers will proceed on Mt. DeChantal Road before turning left on U.S. Route 40. Stahl warned of the possibility of traffic back up onto the interstate due to a traffic light being right off the exit.
After getting onto U.S. Route 40, National Road, motorists will continue up Wheeling Hill through Fulton until they reach the intersection of 7th Street and Market Street near downtown.
From there, the detour continues to the intersection of State Route 2 and 7th Street before taking the on-ramp to the Fort Henry Bridge back onto I-70 Westbound.
“It’s not just a straight shot through the city, you will have to stop at those intersections,” Stahl said. “The speed limit is 35 miles per hour on National Road. It’s a lot slower than it is on the interstate because you know you are traveling through a residential area of the city.
“The terrain is not all flat. You have to go up hills, go down a hill, make a couple of sharp turns onto State Route 2 and then back onto I-70 if that is your preferred way of traveling.”
I-70 West closes tomorrow morning. Here’s the main detour: pic.twitter.com/47YSHyyIgc
— Philip Stahl (@PhilipStahlPIO) February 2, 2020
Stahl said because of the high number of traffic lights along the detour route, traffic flow will be monitored.
“If there is an issue where it seems that traffic is being held up at one intersection versus another and they are not all in sync at one time, the Division of Highways notified the police department that the contractor does have the ability to go in there and adjust the timing of those lights,” he said.
I-70 westbound is already down to one lane from Elm Grove section of Wheeling to when the interstate closes at Exit 2A. Eastbound on I-70 is down to one lane from Exit 2A to Elm Grove but eastbound is not closed at any point, yet.
The eastbound closures will come during a nine-month span in 2021 when certain bridges are torn down and built back up. The interstate is currently down to one lane as the Division of Highways works on preparing other bridges for work.
Stahl and DOH officials are hopeful that the work will remain on schedule with the reopening on I-70 westbound by Oglebay’s Festival of Lights opening in the winter.