The Market Street Bridge, a steel suspension bridge spanning nearly 1,800 feet between Steubenville, Ohio and Weirton, West Virginia, closed almost three years ago due to severe structural deterioration. Transportation officials determined the bridge had failed anchor cables and extensive rusting that made it unsafe for vehicle traffic. The structure served as the primary connection for pedestrians and cyclists between the two communities and was the only bridge carrying cars directly into downtown Steubenville.
Local leaders from both Ohio and West Virginia are pushing to replace the bridge as part of the Great American Rail-Trail, an initiative to convert defunct rail corridors into recreational pathways extending across the country. Congress has appropriated $87 million toward the project, but this represents only a portion of the total cost needed. The proposed replacement bridge would include dedicated lanes for bicycles and pedestrians, supporting the broader rail-trail network. More than half of the proposed 3,700-mile trail already exists, though significant gaps remain, including the Ohio River crossing.
Business owners and civic leaders in both communities cite economic revitalization as a key motivation for the bridge replacement. A grocery store operator noted that the bridge closure resulted in reduced foot and vehicle traffic to downtown businesses. Weirton’s mayor referenced his city’s transition away from steel manufacturing following a mill closure in 2024, positioning the rail-trail as part of broader economic diversification efforts. The same mayor also cited a battery factory that the nearby rail-trail helped attract to the region.
The project has garnered unusual bipartisan backing in a region where both Ohio and West Virginia lean conservative politically. Republican and Democratic officials from both sides of the river have publicly supported the initiative. However, the effort faces federal headwinds, as the current administration has expressed skepticism about federal spending on bicycle infrastructure. Local leaders are focusing advocacy efforts on ongoing surface transportation reauthorization negotiations to secure additional funding for the bridge replacement.
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