CHARLESTON, WV – West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) engineers are drawing up plans to tear down the Aetnaville Bridge in Wheeling.
Built in 1891, the 440-foot bridge spans the back channel of the Ohio River between Wheeling Island and Bridgeport, Ohio. The aging span was closed to vehicular traffic in 1988 and to pedestrians in 2016.
WVDOH District 6 Construction Engineer Mike Witherow, P.E., said a project to tear down the structure is currently in the design phase. The WVDOH hopes to put the project out for bid in the summer of 2025.
Demolition of the span will require coordination with the state of Ohio and the U.S. Coast Guard, Witherow said.