The Nick J. Rahall II Bridge connecting Interstate 64 with U.S. 52 is inadequate. How else would you describe a two-lane bridge connecting two four-lane highways? In addition to that, the approaches on the West Virginia side are so poorly designed that they cannot help but scare anyone trying to cross into Ohio.
The federal Department of Transportation rates bridges based on their structural integrity and on how well they serve modern traffic needs. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being the highest score, the Rahall bridge scored 41. For comparison, the East End bridge scored 68, and the Robert C.
Down in Ironton, the Ironton-Russell Bridge scored 7.2 out of 100.
There's no doubt the Ironton-Russell Bridge needs to be replaced. It's the oldest highway bridge over the Ohio between Wheeling and Cincinnati. It's 85 years old. The Ohio Department of Transportation has to close it in cold weather and inspect it before re-opening it.
Likewise, the Rahall bridge needs a companion bridge right next to it. The existing bridge was inadequate when it opened nearly 40 years ago, and the problem gets worse every year.
Yeah, yeah, it's easy to say that. Let's talk about the problems.
As far as the Ironton-Russell Bridge goes, Ohio has the money. The state just can't seem to build a large bridge within budget and on schedule. That was pointed out in an article in The Columbus Dispatch last week. That newspaper noted ODOT had delays building the new bridge at Portsmouth, Ohio, which opened last fall, and it has allowed work on a new bridge at Pomeroy, Ohio, to stop for nine months.
With the Ironton-Russell Bridge, ODOT has designed a new bridge, but when it was put out for bids, contractors bid much more than what ODOT had estimated the cost would be. So, ODOT is trying again to design a bridge that can be built within budget.
Ironton cannot afford to wait five to seven years for a new bridge. ODOT has to swallow its pride and admit its problems. It needs people who can design and build a big bridge.
With the Rahall bridge, the onus is on West Virginia. As everyone knows, West Virginia has few dollars for new construction, and it's spending them on a few big projects far from its second-largest city. Again, there are two possibilities here. The West Virginia Department of Transportation should re-evaluate its priorities, or our delegation in Congress should start sending some money this way.
And why not? Democrats and Republicans alike are raiding the public treasury for all sorts of earmarked projects. As long as someone is getting that money, why not us? Someone in Congress should be able to find a few million for a new bridge. It doesn't have to be fancy. It could even use the basic design of the Rahall bridge so we could have a matching set. That should save money during design.
This area has many infrastructure needs. It has several bridges that were not designed for the traffic they must carry today. It's long past time for these critical problems to be addressed.