A better use of bridge money
To the editor:
There has been discussion about a new bridge to replace the Market Street Bridge. The West Virginia Department of Transportation has proposed committing $52.5 million from its federal fund and sharing $35 million from local funds. This is a 10-year project. The bridge was closed a year ago citing “cable deteriorated to the point where one of the anchorages actually broke,” said Mike Paprocki, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission.
In researching, I came across an article titled “A Short History of the Market Street Bridge,” written by Mike and Judy Lohr in November 2010.
Here are some interesting facts: The name of the bridge is the Steubenville Bridge, but by the locals it is known as the Market Street Bridge. The bridge was built by Steubenville businessman Dohrman Sinclair in a deal with the Follansbee Brothers. Sinclair built the bridge, and the brothers built a tin mill. The bridge was first used by street cars for transportation.
The bridge steel was from Jones and Laughlin and Bethlehem Steel. The design engineer E.K. Morse, worked for a number of Pittsburgh steel companies and with John Roebling, who was noted for advanced design and build in spun wire rope and was successful in building. His most famous bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, was built in 1869 and is still in use.
There was cable failure in 1922. Repairs were designed by David Steinman. He added the open grating, the additional safety advantage of being less susceptible to wind force vibration and swaying. The bridge was re-engineered in the 1920s by one of the most proficient and prolific bridge experts in the world.
In 1941 ,West Virginia purchased the bridge for $1.3 million. Ironically, West Virginia didn’t want the bridge when it was built. After the purchase, the bridge became a toll bridge to pay for $400,000 in repairs. The tolls were expected to be paid by an estimated year of 1953, but were removed in 1950.
This information is from other sources: In 2005, repairs were made, the deck was listed as good. In 2009, truss and towers were checked. In 2010, decorative lighting was installed and the bridge was painted. On Dec. 7 in 2011, it was open to traffic and placed on the National Register.
Cables, it appears, are a common problem. They have been replaced before. West Virginia needs a professional engineer who works on this style of bridge, fix the cables and save the people of the unneeded expense of a new bridge and inconvenience to users of the Market Street Bridge.
The federal funds, I would think, would cover the cost of the cables, and money that is left over can be used on the Veterans Bridge that was built in 1990. This bridge was reported to have cable problems and is to have repairs done this year.
Merica Petrella
Steubenville