Building A Bridge To The Future:
The Upper Ohio Valley Regional Bridge System Is Studied

The search for a new regional bridge link, the Upper Ohio Valley's number one transportation need as noted in BHJ's Regional Transportation Plan, will take another step forward when the consulting firm of Pflum, Klausmeier & Gehrum Consultants, Inc. (PKG) in collaboration with Modjeski and Masters, Inc, Burgess & Niple, Limited and Thrasher Engineering completes a bridge study to evaluate need. Funded by the Ohio and West Virginia Departments of Transportation, this study will evaluate existing road service levels and the ability of the existing bridge system to adequately meet future traffic demands. If a need is substantiated, the consultant will immediately move into a second phase to determine a technically preferred location. While a study completion date has not been confirmed by PKG, an 18-month study is projected.

BHJ and its Technical Advisory Committee, supplemented by several regional representatives, will guide the preparation of the study. As noted in the BHJ 20-year plan, "Although the Ohio River provides many great advantages to the residents of Ohio Valley and particularly to the BHJ region, one of the major concerns of local residents, planners and decision makers is how to maintain the current level of mobility across the river as well as how to improve access. Ideally, it is desired to maintain the existing structures while planning for the construction of other bridge crossings designed to improve access between the two states. Another concern is the overall limited access across the Ohio River. The closest bridge south of the Market Street Bridge in Steubenville is the Interstate 70 Bridge in Wheeling, a distance of 24 miles." The selection of a consultant to complete this study involved national advertising, a review of applications and invitation for four consultant teams to present their approaches. "While all the consultants were technically competent, PKG acknowledged and highlighted public involvement and consensus building," said Michael Paprocki, BHJ Transportation Study Director. "Infrastructure investments such as bridges translate to big federal and state dollar commitments. Without public consensus, federal and state decision makers will not commit their dollars."