NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY

12:30 p.m. Fri., Aug. 30th

Steubenville Rotary Club Meeting, 320 N. 4^th ST.

For Release: Aug. 30, 2002

Contact:  Vicki Cummiskey, Executive Director,

740-284-9700

The Community Foundation of Jefferson County

and Weirton Area Community Foundation

Announce Joint Community Project

to Light Veterans Memorial Bridge

Steubenville—The Community Foundation of Jefferson County and The Weirton Area Community Foundation today announce a joint community effort to raise funds to light The Veterans Memorial Bridge. The foundations are providing the leadership for the project, convening leaders from two cities, two states and multiple community partners.

“Over the past year, the Community Foundation of Jefferson County has taken a leadership role in bringing together community partners from both sides of the river to determine interest in and the feasibility of lighting the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge,” said Robert Hargrave, President of The Community Foundation of Jefferson County.

“We are very excited to launch the effort to light the bridge, which serves as a welcome to motorists and a conduit to the communities of Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, West Virginia. It also is a point of pride and stately landmark for our area,” said Dan Wilson, President of The Weirton Area Community Foundation.

Bridge feature lighting has grown in popularity in recent years, and many high profile bridges throughout the country have incorporated decorative lighting features. Vicki Cummiskey, executive director of The Community Foundation of Jefferson County, cited many examples, including the Lake Robbins Bridge, located at The Woodlands, Texas, where a former drainage ditch that runs between a reservoir and the community is now being transformed into the Town Center Waterway, a new commercial and retail development that’s intended to be reminiscent of San Antonio’s River Walk. “Like the Lake Robbins Bridge in Texas, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the George Washington Bridge in New York City, the Veterans Memorial Bridge has become a local landmark,” she said.

The foundations looked at the process and costs for lighting other bridges, including the Wheeling Suspension Bridge. The State of West Virginia maintains the bridge, and the City of Wheeling pays for electrical service. Foundation officials say they will continue to work on partnerships with state and local officials in both West Virginia and Ohio for a like agreement.

Veterans Memorial Bridge facts:

Like the Ohio River, the bridge is owned chiefly by the State of West Virginia. The Bridge was built at a cost of $64,424,559.

Federal contribution: $50,030,642. This cable-stayed structure is made of concrete and steel, with a 360-foot inverted Y-shaped concrete tower. Radiating from the tower, 26 paired cables, the longest measuring 800 feet, reach across the 690-foot West Virginia back span and the 820-foot main river span to two Ohio approach spans of 314 and 140 feet.

The bridge was dedicated on May 4, 1990. At that time, Gaston Caperton, Governor of West Virginia, said, “To complete this giant span first visualized 29 years ago necessitated unique financing and the efforts of hundreds of individuals, including members of local committees and the governors, congressional delegations and highway personnel of two states.”

“We’re looking for that same sort of collaboration for this project,” said Cummiskey.

Weirton City Manager Joe Cicchirillo engaged the help of Libby Wilson of Allegheny Power, who procured an experienced local contractor—Robert Kubovicz, President of United Electric of Wheeling—to provide a construction estimate for the project. Wilson also enlisted the help of Hadco™, which recently provided lighting to a sister bridge in Florida, and WideLite® to produce a conceptual design, complete with lighting layout, a Plan View, rendered image, light placement and foot-candle requirements. The design shows both a lighting of the towers and cable stays, enhancing and spotlighting their structural beauty. The design also shows 82 1,000 watt metal halide lights and 28 400 watt metal halide lights using specific beam patterns to give the desired effect.

“We’ve asked that the design be energy conscious—using energy-efficient technologies such as long-life bulbs. And we want to incorporate a timer or automatic dimmer for specific turnoff times to save energy,” said Alan Hall, chair of the Bridge Lighting Committee.

Wilson also provided estimated monthly electrical costs, lamp characteristics and future maintenance needs. Dave Sada of the West Virginia Department of Highways, District 6 reviewed the lighting layout design.

The estimated costs are as follows:

Next steps for the project are either applying for Transportation Enhancement Funds and further communication with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, which will review the engineering plans and specifications for construction of the project. A description of the project and cost estimates are also being sent to the Secretary of Transportation/Department of Highways.

The foundations have created a special fund to pay for the engineering of the bridge lighting project. “We next need to hire an engineering contractor to design the project and go through the RFP process required to receive state and federal funding toward the project,” said Hall.

“Many communities have found that lighting their bridges results in positive economic and tourism opportunities,” said Cummiskey. “We have the Ohio River and a majestic bridge—a point of beauty, remembrance and pride, in a high profile location spanning that river and our communities. We’re starting something big today, and invite interested persons to help light our bridge.”

Persons interested in making a donation may contribute to:

The Community Foundation of Jefferson County

Veterans Memorial Bridge Lighting

PO Box 1822 Steubenville, OH 43952.

Partners involved in planning for the project thus far include:

The Community Foundation of Jefferson County; The Weirton Area Community

Foundation; Steubenville Mayor Dominic Mucci; Weirton City Manager Joe

Cicchirillo; Libby Wilson, Business Account Manager, Allegheny Power; John

Brown, executive director for BHJ, the Metropolitan Planning Commission; Mike

Paprocki, Transportation Specialist for BHJ; Robert Kubovicz, President and

Owner, United Electrical; Dave Sada, West Virginia Department of

Transportation; Mckinley and Associates, Wheeling; Beth Wood,

Steubenville/Main Street Convention and Visitors Bureau.