Memorial Bridge will soon transition to one-way only
Drivers on the bridge will only be able to travel from Parkersburg to Belpre
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) -
Starting August 15th, the Memorial Bridge will go from two-way to one-way due to continued traffic violations.
Soon drivers will only be able to pass from Parkersburg to Belpre over the Memorial Bridge. No longer will drivers be able to enter the bridge on the Belpre side and pass over to Parkersburg.
Officials are making that change for what they call safety reasons.
According to a news release, limiting traffic to only one way will increase safety for drivers and construction workers.
Ken Szeliga, Vice President of Construction and Operations for the Parkersburg Bridge Partners, said that they couldn’t wait any longer to make the change due to the number of violations.
There were several reasons for choosing the Parkersburg side as the entrance; the primary reason is the toll booth.
On the Parkersburg side, drivers must stop at the toll booth before passing through to Belpre, cutting down on oversized vehicles, which Szeliga says has been an issue.
Parkersburg Police will continue to watch the traffic on the bridge.
As drivers get used to the new traffic pattern, they will transition out the police and only use the tollbooth workers.
The toll amount stays the same at 50 cents.
Szeliga said they would continue to look into ways to bring back the two-way traffic, but this change is indefinite.
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