Last week, we looked at the course that I-70 takes through the central Wheeling, WV metro area. This week, we look at I-470.
A short while after I-70 was completed through the Wheeling, WV metro area, it became clear that the highway was woefully inadequate for the needs of the through traffic that was using it. After weighing the alternatives, it was decided that a bypass highway was best suited to clear things up, and I-470 was built. I-470 is a much more suitable routing for the east-west through traffic than I-70, with lanes that go all the way through the metro area, and interchanges and other related design aspects that are much more up to standard than those on I-70.
None the less, I-470 has its interesting aspects. The main interchanges for the central Wheeling area (US 250/WV 2 on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River and OH 7 on the Ohio side) are both freeway to freeway 'Volleyball' style connections.
The US 250 interchange is an interesting 4 level with I-470 on top, the US 250/WV 2 mainline next and the access/CD roadways under them. WV 2 diverges form US 250 about 2 blocks north of the ramp intersections. Even more interesting is that WV 91 is a local 'surface' street that runs below the entire interchange as the 4th level.
On the Ohio side, the I-470 interchange with OH 7 includes a left off/on interchange in both directions on OH 7 and a trumpet ('ticket tollway' style) connection with I-470, with a 'T' intersection between the two.The 'trumpet' has the access ramp going over I-470 and under SB OH 7, while I-470 itself goes over OH 7.
An abandoned railroad tunnel starts about where WV 2 diverges from US 250 and runs north-northeastward about 2000' (0.65km) to about the 'Wheeling Run'.
This is a fascinating area, with its numerous nooks and crannies, making for difficult but highly interesting city, railroad and highway engineering.
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This page © Michael G. Koerner |
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