The West Virginia DOT (WVDOT) recently affirmed the state's commitment to the Wheeling Streetscape project, which has been under development for two years.
WVDOT Secretary Byrd White was joined by Gov. Jim Justice as well as Deputy Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E., State Senator Ryan Weld, and Wheeling Mayor Glenn F. Elliott Jr. to make the announcement earlier this month.
“This project is going to change the look and feel of downtown Wheeling,” Gov. Justice said in a statement. "The funding is in place and we are committed to beginning work on this project as soon as possible. I know that these improvements will help West Virginia’s economy continue to grow.”
"It has been about 35 to 40 years since the downtown streetscape has been redesigned," Mayor Elliott said in a statement. "This is a once in a generation opportunity to transform downtown Wheeling and for that, we are very excited."
The approximately $25 million project is a partnership between the WVDOT and the City of Wheeling that will upgrade West Virginia Route 2 on both Main Street and Market Street in the city of Wheeling. Improvements include repaving the streets, upgrading sidewalks and curb ramps to be ADA accessible, as well as installing new traffic signals.
“We have a variety of design elements to sort out, but we are certain that we will be able to get the work done,” Secretary White said in a statement. “One major portion of the project includes making sidewalks ADA accessible which is an important focus across the WVDOT."
“We have plans to begin skip paving in the area as soon as possible,” Deputy Secretary Wriston said in a statement. “We have faced challenges along the way, but we are all here today to let people know we are fully committed to completing this project. It perfectly aligns with Governor Justice’s plan to put West Virginia first by investing in the state's infrastructure.”
The project is currently in the design phase, and the governor's office says additional announcements will be made when work begins.
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SOURCE: Office of Gov. Jim Justice
