STEUBENVILLE — The West Virginia Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Transportation have finalized an agreement for the state to accept a previously announced $87.5 million grant to assist with the replacement of the Market Street Bridge.

As part of the agreement, WVDOT has agreed to commit matching funds from other federal and non-federal cash resources for the project.

Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission Executive Director Mike Paprocki previously indicated those funds would include $52.5 million from West Virginia’s usual allotment of federal transportation funds and $35 million of its own funding to match the $87.5 million made possible from the Large Bridge Investment Program.

The federal grant was announced last year by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

“As we wrote and negotiated the infrastructure bill in the EPW Committee, we made it a priority to provide specific funding to repair and replace major bridges like the Market Street Bridge,” Capito said in a release made available through the BHJ. “Replacing this bridge is a major win for the safety and future growth of West Virginia, and I am glad to see this funding – which I helped secure – headed to the Northern Panhandle, which will help address a critical infrastructure need for our state.”

The Market Street Bridge was closed indefinitely in December 2023 following a routine inspection, prompted by continued deterioration of some of the 119-year-old bridge’s cable anchorages.

According to the application for the federal funds, development and construction of a new bridge would take between eight and 12 years to complete.

WVDOT has selected HDR Inc. to serve as the engineer of record on the project.