Nearly $90 million in federal funding has been secured to replace the Market Street Bridge, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced this morning.
The funding — $87.5 million — to be channeled through the West Virginia Division of Highways, is being made available through the federal Bridge Investment Program, established through a portion of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“As we wrote and negotiated the infrastructure bill in the EPW Committee, we made it a priority to provide specific funding to repair and replace major bridges like the Market Street Bridge, which is a crucial thoroughfare for workers, residents and visitors in our state every day,” Capito said. “Replacing the Market Street Bridge is a major win for the safety and future growth of West Virginia, and I’m proud to help deliver this significant amount of funding to address a critical infrastructure need for our state, especially having heard from so many residents and community leaders who stressed how critical this project is for the area.”
Brown said he heard from residents and local officials about the need to replace the bridge and called on the Department of Transportation to support the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission, Ohio Department of Transportation and West Virginia Department of Transportation’s funding request.
Due to this joint effort on both sides of the Ohio River, the funding was secured today, the senators said. The Market Street bridge, which connects Steubenville with West Virginia’s state Route 2, was constructed in 1905 and has been closed to traffic since it failed an inspection in December.
“After hearing concerns from residents and local officials, we are finally going to replace the dilapidated Market Street bridge and reopen a major thoroughfare that connects Ohio and West Virginia,” said Brown.