West Virginia and Ohio unite to fund the much-needed Market Street Bridge replacement

With U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and other state officials, the West Virginia Department of Transportation is taking the lead on the project to replace the Market Street Bridge that connects Steubenville and Follansbee.

The funding is made possible through the Bridge Investment Program, which was signed into law in 2021.

"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,” Capito said.

And Capito isn't the only one that's pleased following the announcement. West Virginia State Senator and Brooke County native Ryan Weld said he's been in contact with the WVDOH for quite some time.

"The West Virginia DOH has promised me in several different meetings that they have the requisite matching funds available to them to make the federal grant to ensure that this bridge is constructed,” Weld said.

Because the bridge connects Steubenville to Follansbee, ODOT is stepping in as the co-applicant for the project.

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown is proud to be a part of the transformation, saying “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.”

And for some, that comes as a surprise.

"I didn't know that there were these type of discussions at that level and it makes absolute sense,” BHJ Executive Director Mike Paprocki said.

With just the first steps of the project underway, little has been decided on the structure.

“We don't really know if this bridge is going to be where this bridge is now or if it's going to be at another location,” Steubenville Mayor Jerry Barilla said. “Sometimes, there was talk of it being at Washington Street."

According to Barilla and Follansbee Mayor David Velegol, the project is said to be completed within the next 10 years.