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The message Eric Oberg shared in Steubenville Tuesday evening was very straightforward while discussing the Great American Rail-Trail.
“Every single foot of all of those trails was extremely hard, and it took dedicated people in these communities, big cities, small towns and very rural landscapes in between those places. None of it was easy, but it’s all worth it. The first big hurdle that it has, if you start on the east side of the country, is that wide piece of water.
“We’ve got to get people across that,” he added. “All of those people are riding bikes or walking. Between Steubenville and Weirton, where are they going? Well, since that bridge closed down, they’re not going anywhere.”
Oberg, the senior director of programs for the Rails to Trails Conservancy, was speaking during a reception held at Historic Fort Steuben. While community leaders and elected officials from both sides of the Ohio River were enjoying a meal prepared by Chef Giuseppe DiGristina and the staff at Pastaio Cucina Rustica Italiana, Oberg was standing at the podium in such a way that just over his left shoulder you could see the Market Street Bridge.
That bridge has been an issue for area residents for quite a while, a situation that became more pressing on Dec. 21, 2023, when the West Virginia Department of Transportation Division of Highways completely closed the bridge after problems with its cables were detected during an inspection. That decision brought the useful life of the span that was built in 1905 to an end.
On July 12, 2024, the federal government awarded $87.5 million to the WVDOH to replace the bridge. At the time, that was about half of the project’s estimated cost. That put a replacement bridge on a fast track. In May, public meetings were held in Follansbee and Steubenville at which residents could examine the potential sites, and in June, West Virginia received another $1 million to help with engineering and design work
If all goes as expected, the new bridge could be carrying traffic as early as 2031, officials have explained.
That replacement would not only allow vehicles to cross the river, it likely will include a dedicated lane for bicycles and walkers, the people who use the trail system. It could be similar to the space that has been set aside on the Wellsburg-Brilliant Bridge, which opened on Sept. 20, 2023, just a few months before the Market Street Bridge was deemed to be unsafe.
“We need to work with all of you in ensuring that we find a safe, accessible way for travelers from around the world who are going to come experience our country by walking and biking across the Great American Rail-Trail,” Oberg said. “We need them to come through downtown Weirton and downtown Steubenville. But they can’t do it unless they can cross that body of water. We want to partner with you to make that happen. We want to tell the story of what’s happening here.”
The conservancy, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, had just launched a tour to help promote the need to finish the Great American Trail. Of the planned 3,700 miles that will connect Washington, D.C., and Le Push, Wash., about 60 percent is complete. Among the distance not completed are the 4.1 miles that would connect the Panhandle Trail head with the river crossing and the 10-mile gap between the river and the Hellbender Preserve in Bloomingdale.
The tour traveled to Steubenville from Pittsburgh, with Columbus the scheduled end. The gaps along that route proved to be frustrating.
The mayors of both cities agree that the trail is a project that must be completed.
“Steubenville, Weirton and the Tri-State Area are such valuable places, because it’s about connections,” Steubenvile’s Ralph Petrella said. “It’s a regional area. Every day, thousands of people travel our bridges back and forth from Ohio to West Virginia. Having the trail here is so vital for us. It’s vital for the momentum we have created through the revitalization process, and it’s vital that we stay connected as a community.
“It is known that our citizens want activities -- they want to be outside,” he continued. “There are no more malls -- people want to be out in the environment. They want to be connected to nature, and this is a great opportunity for a national entity to come into our area, to develop and to help give us those experiences.”
Weirton’s Dean Harris agreed.
“Every day, we see the importance of the trail, people getting out, people exercising, people meeting each other down there and taking long walks or bike rides,” Harris explained. “It is an important part of Weirton, and it can be a great part of Steubenville if we get that bridge -- and we will be pushing to get that bridge.”
Haris added he has been continually talking with Mike Paprocki, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, about moving the process forward.
“The economic development of this area is dependent on that new bridge,” Harris said. “We are going to continue to push, as I know Mayor Petrella will, to get that link completed and to be able to join our cities together and to continue the economic prosperity this area deserves.”
Oberg said it’s critical for local officials to keep the pressure on state and federal legislators to ensure the new bridge will be built on an accelerated schedule.
It’s been 36 years since the Veterans Memorial Bridge was opened. During that period, the two other bridges that connected Steubenville with Weirton and Follansbee -- the Fort Steuben Bridge and the Market Street Bridge -- have been shut down. Those closures have certainly left a gap for area residents who are looking for a quick and convenient way to travel among the communities.
While the Veterans bridge is impressive to look at and efficiently moves large volumes of traffic (when all of the lanes are open), it routes traffic past the cities, and offers no easy options for hikers or bicyclists looking to cross. The new bridge will do that.
Oberg urged those who were attending Tuesday’s meeting and who live in West Virginia to contact U.S. Sen. Shelley Moor Capito. West Virginia’s senior Republican senator has a powerful voice when it comes to the surface transportation bill, and her backing will go a long way toward getting the project moved up on the national list.
“We need this bridge,” Oberg explained. “We need this bridge to help facilitate downtown traffic in the business districts of Weirton and Steubenville. It needs to be replaced. It must be replaced. It must have a safe place to walk and bike across it for residents and visitors to the area.”
That new bridge will make it easier for people to commute among the Steubenville, Weirton and Follansbee areas, while adding an option for those who are looking to get some exercise. It will be good for our communities -- economically and physically.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is senior reporter for the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)