Deep in Appalachia, a rail-to-trail project builds bipartisan support for a bridge
Local leaders in Ohio and West Virginia are pushing to replace the decaying Market Street Bridge to reconnect their communities and support the Great American Rail-Trail project. Despite federal political gridlock regarding bike and pedestrian infrastructure, the project has garnered bipartisan support due to its potential for regional economic revitalization.
Why it matters
The project highlights the tension between national political rhetoric regarding infrastructure spending and the practical, bipartisan needs of local communities for economic development.
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — The Market Street Bridge still looms over the Ohio River, spanning almost 1,800 feet between downtown Steubenville and the green hills around Weirton, W.Va., on the other side.
But this once majestic steel suspension bridge closed nearly three years ago. And up close, it's easy to see why transportation officials consider it beyond repair.
"You got severe rusting under here," explains Michael Paprocki, a regional transportation planner, as he points to visible holes in the rusted beams under the bridge's deck. "In reality, if it stood long enough, it would probably collapse under its own weight."
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