Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia): Difference between revisions

Route map:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →‎Exit list: minor adjustments
No edit summary
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{short description|Highway in Ohio and West Virginia}}
{{Short description|Highway in Ohio and West Virginia}}
{{featured article}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox road
{{Infobox road
|country=USA
|country=USA
Line 9: Line 10:
|spur_type=I
|spur_type=I
|spur_of=70
|spur_of=70
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=250|frame-lat=40.056|frame-long=-80.754|zoom=11|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)}}}}
|map={{maplink-road|from=Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia).map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=I-470 highlighted in red
|map_notes=I-470 highlighted in red
|length_mi=10.63
|length_mi=10.63
|length_notes={{convert|6.69|mi|abbr=on}} in Ohio<br />{{convert|3.94|mi|abbr=on}} in W. Va.
|length_notes={{convert|6.69|mi|abbr=on}} in Ohio<br />{{convert|3.94|mi|abbr=on}} in West Virginia
|length_ref=<ref name="fhwa log">{{cite web |author = Federal Highway Administration |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table3.htm |title = Table&nbsp;3: Interstate Routes in Each of the 50&nbsp;States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico |date = October 31, 2002 |work = Route Log and Finder List |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 47914009 |author-link = Federal Highway Administration }}</ref>
|length_ref=<ref name="fhwa log">{{cite web |author = Federal Highway Administration |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table3.htm |title = Table&nbsp;3: Interstate Routes in Each of the 50&nbsp;States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico |date = October 31, 2002 |work = Route Log and Finder List |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 47914009 |author-link = Federal Highway Administration }}</ref>
|established=1976
|established=1976
|direction_a=West|direction_b=East
|direction_a=West|direction_b=East
|terminus_a={{jct|state=OH|I|70}} near [[Blaine, Ohio]]
|terminus_a={{jct|state=OH|I|70}} near [[Blaine, Ohio|Blaine, OH]]
|junction=
⚫
|junction={{Jct|state=WV|US|250}} in [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling, W. Va.]]
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=WV|I|70}} in Wheeling
*{{Jct|state=OH|SR|7}} near [[Riverview, Ohio|Riverview, OH]]
⚫
*{{Jct|state=WV|US|250|WV|2}} in [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling, WV]]
⚫
|system={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=OH}}{{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=WV}}
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=WV|I|70}} in [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling, WV]]
|system1={{Infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=OH}}
⚫
|system2={{infobox road/browselinks/USA|state=WV}}
|states=[[Ohio]], [[West Virginia]]
|states=[[Ohio]], [[West Virginia]]
|counties='''OH:''' [[Belmont County, Ohio|Belmont]]<br>'''WV:''' [[Ohio County, West Virginia|Ohio]]
|counties='''OH:''' [[Belmont County, Ohio|Belmont]]<br>'''WV:''' [[Ohio County, West Virginia|Ohio]]
Line 26: Line 30:
{{wv browse|previous_route=460|previous_type=US|next_type=WV|next_route=480|route=WV}}
{{wv browse|previous_route=460|previous_type=US|next_type=WV|next_route=480|route=WV}}
}}
}}
'''Interstate 470''' ('''I-470''') is a {{convert|10.63|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] of [[Interstate 70|I-70]] that [[bypass (road)|bypasses]] the city of [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], in the United States. I-470 is one of 13 auxiliary Interstate Highways in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in [[West Virginia]]. The western terminus of I-470 is an interchange with [[Interstate 70 in Ohio|I-70]] in [[Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Richland Township]], Ohio. Traveling southeast through rural [[Belmont County, Ohio|Belmont County]], I-470 approaches the [[Interstate 470 Bridge|Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge]], which spans the [[Ohio River]]. After crossing the river into [[Ohio County, West Virginia]], the highway turns east towards the Wheeling communities of [[Bethlehem, West Virginia|Bethlehem]] and [[Elm Grove, West Virginia|Elm Grove]] and its eastern terminus at [[Interstate 70 in West Virginia|I-70]] near Elm Grove. The portion of the highway in West Virginia is named the '''USS ''West Virginia'' Memorial Highway''', by proclamation of then Governor [[Cecil H. Underwood|Cecil Underwood]] on the 59th anniversary of the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor attack]].
'''Interstate&nbsp;470''' ('''I-470''') is a {{convert|10.63|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]] of [[Interstate 70|I-70]] that [[bypass (road)|bypasses]] the city of [[Wheeling, West Virginia]], United States. I-470 is one of 13 auxiliary Interstate Highways in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in [[West Virginia]]. The western terminus of I-470 is an interchange with [[Interstate 70 in Ohio|I-70]] in [[Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Richland Township]], Ohio. Traveling southeast through rural [[Belmont County, Ohio|Belmont County]], I-470 approaches the [[Interstate 470 Bridge|Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge]], which spans the [[Ohio River]]. After crossing the river into [[Ohio County, West Virginia]], the highway continues east toward the Wheeling communities of [[Bethlehem, West Virginia|Bethlehem]] and [[Elm Grove, West Virginia|Elm Grove]] and its eastern terminus at [[Interstate 70 in West Virginia|I-70]] near Elm Grove. The portion of the highway in West Virginia is named the '''USS ''West Virginia'' Memorial Highway''' by proclamation of then-Governor [[Cecil H. Underwood]] on the 59th anniversary of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]].


Construction of the freeway began in 1975 in the two states. Due to a chronic lack of funding, construction in Ohio was stalled between 1976 and 1981. After a 3.3-cent-per-gallon (0.87-cent-per-liter) [[fuel tax]] increase, Ohio was able to restart construction, and by 1983, both states had completed construction on the freeway. The [[three-level diamond interchange]] with [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] highways [[U.S. Route 250 in West Virginia|U.S. Route 250]] (US&nbsp;250) and [[West Virginia Route 2]] (WV&nbsp;2) on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was thought to be the most complex interchange in West Virginia's [[Interstate Highway System]] at the time of construction. On average, between 25,500 and 37,840&nbsp;vehicles use the highway daily.
Construction of the freeway began in 1975 in the two states. Due to a chronic lack of funding, construction in Ohio was stalled between 1976 and 1981. After a {{Convert|0.033|$/USgal|$/impgal $/l|adj=on}} [[fuel tax]] increase, Ohio was able to restart construction, and, by 1983, both states had completed construction on the freeway. The [[three-level diamond interchange]] with [[concurrency (road)|concurrent]] highways [[U.S. Route 250 in West Virginia|U.S. Route&nbsp;250]] (US&nbsp;250) and [[West Virginia Route 2]] (WV&nbsp;2) on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was thought to be the most complex interchange in West Virginia's [[Interstate Highway System]] at the time of construction. On average, between 25,500 and 37,840&nbsp;vehicles use the highway daily.


==Route description==
==Route description==
[[File:Interstate 470.jpg|left|thumb|I-470 westbound at the US&nbsp;250/WV&nbsp;2 three-level diamond interchange]]
[[File:Interstate 470.jpg|left|thumb|I-470 westbound at the US&nbsp;250/WV&nbsp;2 three-level diamond interchange]]
The freeway begins at a [[interchange (road)#Two-way interchanges|partial interchange]] with I-70 in [[Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio]].<ref name="d11 map">{{cite map |author = District 11 |date = n.d. |scale = Scale not given |location = Columbus |publisher = [[Ohio Department of Transportation]] |title = District 11 Belmont County State, U.S., I.R. Roadways w/logs Including County and Township Roads |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D11/Maps/Belmont/belmont_county_twnshps_logs_sr_cr_tr.PDF |access-date = December 16, 2013 }}</ref> An exit for County Road 28 (CR&nbsp;28), the second-last exit for westbound traffic, provides motorists access to [[U.S. Route 40 in Ohio|US&nbsp;40]]. The highway curves to the southeast, passing near the Belmont Memorial Park and through woodlands. I-70 forms part of the northeastern border of [[Neffs, Ohio|Neffs]], [[Pease Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Pease Township]],<ref name="d11 map" /> and briefly parallels High Ridge Road (CR&nbsp;214) then meets it at a [[diamond interchange]] in [[Pultney Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Pultney Township]].<ref name="d11 map" /> High Ridge Road to the north connects back to I-70, and to the south links [[Bellaire, Ohio|Bellaire]] to the bypass. I-470 continues easterly into a valley before intersecting a [[trumpet interchange]] leading to another interchange with [[Ohio State Route 7|State Route 7]] (SR&nbsp;7) along the western banks of the Ohio River. The [[Interstate 470 Bridge|Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge]] carries I-470 over three rail lines and the Ohio River (the state line between Ohio and West Virginia).<ref name=gmaps /><ref name="Hay2008">{{cite book |last = Hay |first = Jerry M. |title = Ohio River Guidebook |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-CWFN4uL8L8C&pg=PA14 |access-date = December 31, 2013 |via = [[Google Books]] |year = 2008 |publisher = Inland Waterways Books |isbn = 978-1-60585-217-1 |page = 14 }}</ref> The rail lines on the western banks of the river belong to the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] and the [[Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (1990)|Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway]]'s [[River Subdivision (Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway)|River Subdivision]].<ref name="odot railmap">{{cite map |author = Ohio Rail Development Commission |location = Columbus |publisher = Ohio Rail Development Commission |title = 2012 Official Ohio Rail Transportation Map |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/RailMap/RailMapbackside.jpg |date = June 2012 |scale = 1:570,240 |section = Q8 |access-date = December 15, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fms%3Fauthuser%3D1%26vps%3D17%26ie%3DUTF8%26hl%3Den%26oe%3DUTF8%26msa%3D0%26msid%3D216578237612702815514.0004745477bcc53882d27%26output%3Dkml&hl=en&ll=40.075707,-80.69355&spn=0.153422,0.338173&sll=40.797177,-81.502075&sspn=3.330714,4.916382&t=m&z=12&iwloc=lyrftr:kml:c33FdLv3grTyMc1iRu9gikfOVFPFBeRDpqC8UpVKnEvSm9PdXuViPzCYb4kchPu2KNlQ5r0M,gf4bee9ed0fbc43c1,40.057578,-80.733773 |title = Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway: System Map |access-date = December 16, 2013 |link = no }}</ref> The [[American Automobile Association]] considers the stretch of I-470 though Ohio to be a [[scenic highway]] due to its natural beauty.<ref name="aaascenic">{{cite book |type = Report |chapter-url = http://www.aaa.com/aaa/common/scenicbyways/pdfs/SB_Ohio.pdf |chapter = Ohio |last = [[American Automobile Association]] |title = Scenic Byways |publisher = American Automobile Association |page = 1 |access-date = January 1, 2014 }}</ref>
The freeway begins at a [[interchange (road)#Two-way interchanges|partial interchange]] with I-70 in [[Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio]].<ref name="d11 map">{{cite map |author = District 11 |date = n.d. |scale = Scale not given |location = Columbus |publisher = [[Ohio Department of Transportation]] |title = District 11 Belmont County State, U.S., I.R. Roadways w/logs Including County and Township Roads |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/districts/D11/Maps/Belmont/belmont_county_twnshps_logs_sr_cr_tr.PDF |access-date = December 16, 2013 }}</ref> An exit for County Road&nbsp;28 (CR&nbsp;28), the second-last exit for westbound traffic, provides motorists access to [[U.S. Route 40 in Ohio|US&nbsp;40]]. The highway curves to the southeast, passing near the Belmont Memorial Park and through woodlands. I-70 forms part of the northeastern border of [[Neffs, Ohio|Neffs]], [[Pease Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Pease Township]],<ref name="d11 map" /> and briefly parallels High Ridge Road (CR&nbsp;214) then meets it at a [[diamond interchange]] in [[Pultney Township, Belmont County, Ohio|Pultney Township]].<ref name="d11 map" /> High Ridge Road, to the north, connects back to I-70 and, to the south, links [[Bellaire, Ohio|Bellaire]] to the bypass. I-470 continues easterly into a valley before intersecting a [[trumpet interchange]], leading to another interchange with [[Ohio State Route 7|State Route&nbsp;7]] (SR&nbsp;7) along the western banks of the Ohio River. The [[Interstate 470 Bridge|Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge]] carries I-470 over three rail lines and the Ohio River (the state line between Ohio and West Virginia).<ref name=gmaps /><ref name="Hay2008">{{cite book |last = Hay |first = Jerry M. |title = Ohio River Guidebook |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=-CWFN4uL8L8C&pg=PA14 |access-date = December 31, 2013 |via = [[Google Books]] |year = 2008 |publisher = Inland Waterways Books |isbn = 978-1-60585-217-1 |page = 14 }}</ref> The rail lines on the western banks of the river belong to the [[Norfolk Southern Railway]] and the [[Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway (1990)|Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway]]'s [[River Subdivision (Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway)|River Subdivision]].<ref name="odot railmap">{{cite map |author = Ohio Rail Development Commission |location = Columbus |publisher = Ohio Rail Development Commission |title = 2012 Official Ohio Rail Transportation Map |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/RailMap/RailMapbackside.jpg |date = June 2012 |scale = 1:570,240 |section = Q8 |access-date = December 15, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{google maps |url = https://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fmaps.google.com%2Fmaps%2Fms%3Fauthuser%3D1%26vps%3D17%26ie%3DUTF8%26hl%3Den%26oe%3DUTF8%26msa%3D0%26msid%3D216578237612702815514.0004745477bcc53882d27%26output%3Dkml&hl=en&ll=40.075707,-80.69355&spn=0.153422,0.338173&sll=40.797177,-81.502075&sspn=3.330714,4.916382&t=m&z=12&iwloc=lyrftr:kml:c33FdLv3grTyMc1iRu9gikfOVFPFBeRDpqC8UpVKnEvSm9PdXuViPzCYb4kchPu2KNlQ5r0M,gf4bee9ed0fbc43c1,40.057578,-80.733773 |title = Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway: System Map |access-date = December 16, 2013 |link = no }}</ref> The [[American Automobile Association]] considers the stretch of I-470 though Ohio to be a [[scenic highway]] due to its natural beauty.<ref name="aaascenic">{{cite book |type = Report |chapter-url = http://www.aaa.com/aaa/common/scenicbyways/pdfs/SB_Ohio.pdf |chapter = Ohio |last = American Automobile Association |author-link = American Automobile Association |title = Scenic Byways |publisher = American Automobile Association |page = 1 |access-date = January 1, 2014 }}</ref>


[[File:2017-07-23 11 49 29 View east along Interstate 470 just east of Exit 2 (Bethlehem) in Bethlehem, Ohio County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|View east along I-470 past the CR 91/1 exit in Bethlehem]]
[[File:2017-07-23 11 49 29 View east along Interstate 470 just east of Exit 2 (Bethlehem) in Bethlehem, Ohio County, West Virginia.jpg|thumb|right|View east along I-470 past the CR&nbsp;91/CR&nbsp;1 exit in Bethlehem]]
I-470 enters the [[city limits]] of Wheeling and [[Ohio County, West Virginia]];<ref name="wvdot map">{{cite map |author = [[West Virginia Division of Highways]] |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = State of West Virginia |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/gti/Documents/Genhwy.PDF |access-date = January 24, 2014 |year = 2011 |scale = No scale given |inset = Wheeling }}</ref> the [[Greater Wheeling Trail]], a [[rail trail]], passes under the freeway as I-470 approaches a [[three-level diamond interchange]] with US&nbsp;250 and WV&nbsp;2.<ref name="trail map" /> The concurrent highways connect to downtown Wheeling in the north and [[Benwood, West Virginia|Benwood]] to the south. I-70 climbs from the banks of the river into more woodlands before an interchange with West Bethlehem Boulevard, which provides access to the village of [[Bethlehem, West Virginia|Bethlehem]] to the south. Continuing easterly, I-470 comes to its end at an incomplete interchange with its parent, I-70,<ref name="urban map">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Division of Highways |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = Wheeling & Moundsville: Marshall & Ohio Counties |url = ftp://129.71.206.174/CityMaps/Wheeling_1.pdf |access-date = January 24, 2014 |year = 2005 |series = Urban Area Map |page = 1 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> over [[Wheeling Creek (West Virginia)|Wheeling Creek]] near [[Elm Grove, West Virginia|Elm Grove]] and to the north of the J.B. Chambers Youth Sports Complex and Wheeling Skate Park.<ref name="Hicks">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/560188/Ground-Broken-For-Local-Miracle-Field.html?nav=515 |title = Ground Broken For Local Miracle Field |last = Hicks |first = Ian |date = October 4, 2011 |work = [[The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register]] |access-date = December 20, 2013 |oclc = 2269511 }}</ref><ref name="Hanson">{{cite news |url = http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/576131/Skatepark-Going-Strong-After-Five-Years.html?nav=510 |title = Skatepark Going Strong After Five Years |last = Hanson |first = Shelley |date = October 20, 2012 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = December 20, 2013 |oclc = 2269511 }}</ref> Traffic from I-470 can only access eastbound I-70, and only traffic traveling westbound on I-70 can access I-470.<ref name="urban map" /> The eastern branch of the Greater Wheeling Trail, which parallels the creek, passes underneath I-470 as it merges into I-70.<ref name="trail map">{{cite map |author = Wheeling Natural Heritage Area |publisher = Wheeling Natural Heritage Area |title = Wheeling Heritage Trail |url = http://www.wheelingheritage.org/pdf_docs/WheelingHeritageMap.pdf |scale = 1:95,040 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111007083527/http://www.wheelingheritage.org/pdf_docs/WheelingHeritageMap.pdf |archive-date = October 7, 2011 }}</ref>
I-470 enters the [[city limits]] of Wheeling and [[Ohio County, West Virginia]];<ref name="wvdot map">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Division of Highways |author-link = West Virginia Division of Highways |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = State of West Virginia |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/gti/Documents/Genhwy.PDF |access-date = January 24, 2014 |year = 2011 |scale = No scale given |inset = Wheeling |archive-date = May 16, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170516152205/http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/gti/Documents/Genhwy.pdf |url-status = dead }}</ref> the [[Wheeling Heritage Trails#Ohio River Trail|Ohio River Trail]], a [[rail trail]], passes under the freeway as I-470 approaches a [[three-level diamond interchange]] with US&nbsp;250 and WV&nbsp;2.<ref name="trail map" /> The concurrent highways connect to downtown Wheeling in the north and [[Benwood, West Virginia|Benwood]] to the south. I-70 climbs from the banks of the river into more woodlands before an interchange with West Bethlehem Boulevard, which provides access to the village of [[Bethlehem, West Virginia|Bethlehem]] to the south. Continuing easterly, I-470 comes to its end at an incomplete interchange with its parent, I-70,<ref name="urban map">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Division of Highways |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = Wheeling & Moundsville: Marshall & Ohio Counties |url = ftp://129.71.206.174/CityMaps/Wheeling_1.pdf |access-date = January 24, 2014 |year = 2005 |series = Urban Area Map |page = 1 }}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> over [[Wheeling Creek (West Virginia)|Wheeling Creek]] near [[Elm Grove, West Virginia|Elm Grove]] and to the north of the J.B. Chambers Youth Sports Complex and Wheeling Skate Park.<ref name="Hicks">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/560188/Ground-Broken-For-Local-Miracle-Field.html?nav=515 |title = Ground Broken For Local Miracle Field |last = Hicks |first = Ian |date = October 4, 2011 |work = [[The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register]] |access-date = December 20, 2013 |oclc = 2269511 |archive-date = December 20, 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131220101420/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/560188/Ground-Broken-For-Local-Miracle-Field.html?nav=515 |url-status = dead }}</ref><ref name="Hanson">{{cite news |url = http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/576131/Skatepark-Going-Strong-After-Five-Years.html?nav=510 |title = Skatepark Going Strong After Five Years |last = Hanson |first = Shelley |date = October 20, 2012 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = December 20, 2013 |oclc = 2269511 }}</ref> Traffic from I-470 can only access eastbound I-70, and only traffic traveling westbound on I-70 can access I-470.<ref name="urban map" /> The [[Wheeling Heritage Trails#Wheeling Creek Trail|Wheeling Creek Trail]], which parallels the creek, passes underneath I-470 as it merges into I-70.<ref name="trail map">{{cite map |author = Wheeling Natural Heritage Area |publisher = Wheeling Natural Heritage Area |title = Wheeling Heritage Trail |url = http://www.wheelingheritage.org/pdf_docs/WheelingHeritageMap.pdf |scale = 1:95,040 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111007083527/http://www.wheelingheritage.org/pdf_docs/WheelingHeritageMap.pdf |archive-date = October 7, 2011 }}</ref>


I-470 is one of 13 [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]]s in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in West Virginia.<ref name="fhwa log" /> The [[Ohio Department of Transportation]] and [[West Virginia Division of Highways]] (ODOT and WVDOH) conduct surveys on their highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of [[average annual daily traffic]] (AADT), a measure of average traffic volume for any day of the year. In 2012, they calculated that 26,500&nbsp;vehicles traveled along the highway at the eastern terminus in West Virginia, and 37,840&nbsp;vehicles used I-470 across the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.<ref name="odot aadt">{{cite book |author = Office of Technical Services |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/TechServ/traffic/Traffic_Survey_Reports/2012_Reports/BEL12.PDF |title = Traffic Survey Report: Belmont County |year = 2012 |publisher = Ohio Department of Transportation |pages = 4–5 |access-date = December 15, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="wvdot aadt">{{cite map |author = [[West Virginia Department of Transportation]] |title = I-470: Ohio to I-70 |scale = Scale not given |work = Interstate Highway Counts |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I470_Ohio_I70_12.pdf |access-date = December 15, 2013 |year = 2012 |format = PDF |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160309053013/http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I470_Ohio_I70_12.pdf |archive-date = March 9, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> As part of the [[Interstate Highway System]],<ref>{{cite journal |access-date = January 24, 2011 |last = Slater |first = Rodney E. |date = Spring 1996 |title = The National Highway System: A Commitment to America's Future |journal = Public Roads |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |volume = 59 |issue = 4 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/96spring/p96sp2.cfm |issn = 0033-3735 }}</ref> the entire route is listed on the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]]—a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense and mobility.<ref name="fhwa map ohio">{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |title = National Highway System: Ohio |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/ohio/oh_Ohio.pdf |scale = 1:3,015,936 |access-date = December 15, 2013 |date = October 1, 2012 |format = PDF }}</ref><ref name="fhwa map west virginia">{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |title = National Highway System: West Virginia |scale = 1:8,448,000 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/west_virginia/wv_WestVirginia.pdf |access-date = December 15, 2013 |date = October 1, 2012 |format = PDF }}</ref>
I-470 is one of 13 [[auxiliary Interstate Highway]]s in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in West Virginia.<ref name="fhwa log" /> The [[Ohio Department of Transportation]] (ODOT) and [[West Virginia Division of Highways]] (DOH) conduct surveys on their highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of [[annual average daily traffic]] (AADT), a measure of average traffic volume for any day of the year. In 2012, they calculated that 26,500&nbsp;vehicles traveled along the highway at the eastern terminus in West Virginia, and 37,840&nbsp;vehicles used I-470 across the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.<ref name="odot aadt">{{cite book |author = Office of Technical Services |url = http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Planning/TechServ/traffic/Traffic_Survey_Reports/2012_Reports/BEL12.PDF |title = Traffic Survey Report: Belmont County |year = 2012 |publisher = Ohio Department of Transportation |pages = 4–5 |access-date = December 15, 2013 }}</ref><ref name="wvdot aadt">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Department of Transportation |author-link = West Virginia Department of Transportation |title = I-470: Ohio to I-70 |scale = Scale not given |work = Interstate Highway Counts |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Department of Transportation |url = http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I470_Ohio_I70_12.pdf |access-date = December 15, 2013 |year = 2012 |format = PDF |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160309053013/http://www.transportation.wv.gov/highways/programplanning/preliminary_engineering/traffic_analysis/trafficvolume/interstatecounts/Documents/I470_Ohio_I70_12.pdf |archive-date = March 9, 2016 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> As part of the [[Interstate Highway System]],<ref>{{cite journal |access-date = January 24, 2011 |last = Slater |first = Rodney E. |date = Spring 1996 |title = The National Highway System: A Commitment to America's Future |journal = Public Roads |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |volume = 59 |issue = 4 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/96spring/p96sp2.cfm |issn = 0033-3735 }}</ref> the entire route is listed on the [[National Highway System (United States)|National Highway System]]—a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.<ref name="fhwa map ohio">{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |title = National Highway System: Ohio |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/ohio/oh_Ohio.pdf |scale = 1:3,015,936 |access-date = December 15, 2013 |date = October 1, 2012 |format = PDF }}</ref><ref name="fhwa map west virginia">{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |title = National Highway System: West Virginia |scale = 1:8,448,000 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/west_virginia/wv_WestVirginia.pdf |access-date = December 15, 2013 |date = October 1, 2012 |format = PDF }}</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[File:Wheeling, West Virginia 1955 Yellow Book (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|1955 map showing the planned routing of Interstate Highways through Wheeling|alt=An old map showing the path of I-70 and 470 through Wheeling.]]
[[File:Wheeling, West Virginia 1955 Yellow Book (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|1955 map showing the planned routing of Interstate Highways through Wheeling|alt=An old map showing the path of I-70 and 470 through Wheeling.]]
Plans for a southern bypass of Wheeling were first published in 1955 in [[Bureau of Public Roads]] document titled ''[[General Location of National System of Interstate Highways|General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas]]''.<ref>{{cite map |author = [[Bureau of Public Roads]] |title = General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas |map-url = http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheeling,_West_Virginia_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg |date = September 1955 |map = Wheeling, West Virginia |location = Washington, DC |publisher = [[Government Printing Office]] |page = 99 |access-date = January 24, 2011 |via = [[Wikimedia Commons]] |scale = Scale not given |oclc = 4165975 }}</ref> An [[environmental impact statement]] was filed in 1972 by West Virginia, detailing the I-470 interchange with US&nbsp;250/WV&nbsp;2 along the eastern banks of the Ohio River.<ref>{{cite book |type = Report |author = Federal Highway Administration |title = Route 2 and I-470, Wheeling: Environmental Impact Statement |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sLM2AQAAMAAJ |year = 1972 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |via = Google Books }}</ref> Tunnels used by the nearby LaBelle Nail Plant, LaBelle being the original French word for the Ohio River, were unearthed during construction of this interchange.<ref name="Gompers">{{cite news |title = LaBelle |last = Gompers |first = Theadiane |date = April 7, 1997 |work = Wheeling Intelligencer |page = A8 |oclc = 2269511 |id = {{ProQuest|333259571}}}}</ref> A {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} segment in West Virginia was bid out at just over $16.5&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|16500000|1976|r=-5}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} in 1976.<ref name="better roads">{{cite book |last = |first = |title = Better Roads |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g-5VAAAAMAAJ |volume = Vol. 46 |year = 1976 |page = 119 |oclc = 1519687 |issn = 0006-0208 }}</ref>
Plans for a southern bypass of Wheeling were first published in 1955 in [[Bureau of Public Roads]] document titled ''[[General Location of National System of Interstate Highways|General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas]]''.<ref>{{cite map |author = Bureau of Public Roads |author-link = Bureau of Public Roads |title = General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas |map-url = http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wheeling,_West_Virginia_1955_Yellow_Book.jpg |date = September 1955 |map = Wheeling, West Virginia |location = Washington, DC |publisher = [[Government Printing Office]] |page = 99 |access-date = January 24, 2011 |via = [[Wikimedia Commons]] |scale = Scale not given |oclc = 4165975 }}</ref> An [[environmental impact statement]] was filed in 1972 by West Virginia, detailing the I-470 interchange with US&nbsp;250/WV&nbsp;2 along the eastern banks of the Ohio River.<ref>{{cite book |type = Report |author = Federal Highway Administration |title = Route 2 and I-470, Wheeling: Environmental Impact Statement |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sLM2AQAAMAAJ |year = 1972 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |via = Google Books }}</ref> Tunnels used by the nearby LaBelle Nail Plant, LaBelle being the original French word for the Ohio River, were unearthed during construction of this interchange.<ref name="Gompers">{{cite news |title = LaBelle |last = Gompers |first = Theadiane |date = April 7, 1997 |work = Wheeling Intelligencer |page = A8 |oclc = 2269511 |id = {{ProQuest|333259571}}}}</ref> A {{convert|2.5|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} segment in West Virginia was bid out at just over $16.5&nbsp;million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|16500000|1976}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) in 1976.<ref name="better roads">{{cite book |title = Better Roads |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=g-5VAAAAMAAJ |volume = 46 |year = 1976 |page = 119 |oclc = 1519687 |issn = 0006-0208 }}</ref>


Ohio had completed the stretch of highway between I-70 to just before the SR&nbsp;7 interchange by 1976,<ref name="75 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1975 |section = O10 }}</ref><ref name="76 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1976 |section = O10 }}</ref> but due to budget deficiencies work did not resume in Ohio until 1981. Construction of the bridge linking the two portions of highway was scheduled to be completed by 1981, but construction did not begin until that year.<ref name="delays">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bJ5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pG0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3746,5061217&hl=en |title = Wheeling's I-470 is Troubled Bridge |last = Robinson |first = E. O'Neil |date = July 25, 1983 |work = [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date = January 25, 2011 |agency = [[Associated Press]] |issn = 1068-624X |via = [[Google News]] }}</ref> After a 3.3-cent-per-gallon (0.87-cent-per-liter) [[fuel tax]] increase, Ohio was able to fund the project again. Bids for construction work on the remainder of the Ohio portion of the freeway were solicited in 1981, with an estimated construction time of 37&nbsp;months for the stretch between I-70 and the bridge.<ref name="odot bids">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qLhQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ldAMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3630,1258000&dq=interstate-470+construction+wheeling&hl=en |title = Machinery Ready to Roll |date = September 15, 1981 |agency = Associated Press |work = The Daily Times |page = 11 |access-date = January 25, 2011 |location = Portsmouth, Ohio |issn = 8750-6963 |via = Google News }}</ref>
Ohio had completed the stretch of highway from I-70 to just before the SR&nbsp;7 interchange by 1976,<ref name="75 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1975 |section = O10 }}</ref><ref name="76 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1976 |section = O10 }}</ref> but, due to budget deficiencies, work did not resume in Ohio until 1981. Construction of the bridge linking the two portions of highway was scheduled to be completed by 1981, but construction did not begin until that year.<ref name="delays">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bJ5RAAAAIBAJ&pg=3746,5061217&hl=en |title = Wheeling's I-470 is Troubled Bridge |last = Robinson |first = E. O'Neil |date = July 25, 1983 |work = [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |access-date = January 25, 2011 |agency = [[Associated Press]] |issn = 1068-624X |via = [[Google News]] }}</ref> After a {{Convert|0.033|$/USgal|$/impgal $/l|adj=on}} [[fuel tax]] increase, Ohio was able to fund the project again. Bids for construction work on the remainder of the Ohio portion of the freeway were solicited in 1981, with an estimated construction time of 37&nbsp;months for the stretch between I-70 and the bridge.<ref name="odot bids">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qLhQAAAAIBAJ&pg=3630,1258000&dq=interstate-470+construction+wheeling&hl=en |title = Machinery Ready to Roll |date = September 15, 1981 |agency = Associated Press |work = The Daily Times |page = 11 |access-date = January 25, 2011 |location = Portsmouth, Ohio |issn = 8750-6963 |via = Google News }}</ref>


The West Virginia portion was under construction by 1976,<ref name="WVDOH 1976 Map">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = West Virginia Official Highway Map |year = 1976 |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |inset = Wheeling |scale = Scale not given }}</ref> and work in both states was completed by 1983.<ref name="83 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1983 |section = O10 }}</ref><ref name="matter of fact">{{cite book |last = [[West Virginia Division of Highways]] |title = As a Matter of Fact |date = January 1998 |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |page = II‑8 |oclc = 45763179 }}</ref> The three-level diamond interchange on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was said to be the most complex interchange in West Virginia at the time of construction by the WVDOH spokesman Gary Chernenko.<ref name="most complex">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yCJDAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u6wMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5458,5045166&dq=interstate-470+construction+wheeling&hl=en |title = New Bridges to Cut Down Travel Time |last = Hodel |first = Martha Bryson |date = November 20, 1980 |work = The Daily Sentinel |page = 1 |access-date = January 25, 2011 |location = Pomeroy, Ohio |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 16933050 |via = Google News }}</ref> The opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, along with another bridge in nearby [[Moundsville Bridge|Moundsville]] was thought to have reduced the amount of traffic, and thus tolls collected by the nearby [[Bellaire Bridge]] by up to 50 per cent in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |title = For Sale: 1 Toll Bridge In The Heart Of The 'Rust Belt' |last = Harrison |first = Eric |work = [[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |page = A19 |date = March 1, 1987 |oclc = 8733259 |id = {{ProQuest|286123854}}}}</ref>
The West Virginia portion was under construction by 1976,<ref name="WVDOH 1976 Map">{{cite map |author = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = West Virginia Official Highway Map |year = 1976 |location = Charleston |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |inset = Wheeling |scale = Scale not given }}</ref> and work in both states was completed by 1983.<ref name="83 odot map">{{Ohio road map |access-date = January 25, 2011 |year = 1983 |section = O10 }}</ref><ref name="matter of fact">{{cite book |last = West Virginia Division of Highways |author-link = West Virginia Division of Highways |title = As a Matter of Fact |date = January 1998 |publisher = West Virginia Division of Highways |page = II‑8 |oclc = 45763179 }}</ref> According to WVDOH spokesperson Gary Chernenko, the three-level diamond interchange on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was the most complex interchange in West Virginia at the time of construction.<ref name="most complex">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yCJDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5458,5045166&dq=interstate-470+construction+wheeling&hl=en |title = New Bridges to Cut Down Travel Time |last = Hodel |first = Martha Bryson |date = November 20, 1980 |work = The Daily Sentinel |page = 1 |access-date = January 25, 2011 |location = Pomeroy, Ohio |isbn = 9781605852171 |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 16933050 |via = Google News }}</ref> The opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, along with another bridge in nearby [[Moundsville Bridge|Moundsville]], was thought to have reduced the amount of traffic, and thus tolls collected by the nearby [[Bellaire Bridge]] by up to 50&nbsp;percent in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |title = For Sale: 1 Toll Bridge In The Heart Of The 'Rust Belt' |last = Harrison |first = Eric |work = [[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |page = A19 |date = March 1, 1987 |oclc = 8733259 |id = {{ProQuest|286123854}}}}</ref>


Between September 12 and December 22, 1996,<ref>{{cite news |title = Interstate Reopens After Crews Fill Old Mines Under Roadway |date = December 22, 1996 |work = [[The Plain Dealer]] |location = Cleveland |page = 4B |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 7742580 |id = {{ProQuest|291765894}}}}</ref> about {{convert|518|m|order=flip|abbr=on|-2}} of I-470 in Ohio was closed so ODOT could stabilize and repave the roadway, as the rocks forming the top of an abandoned mine underneath the freeway had become overstressed.<ref name="pr-sinkholes">{{cite journal |last = Ruegsegger |first = L. Rick |last2 = Lefchik |first2 = Thomas E. |date = July–August 1999 |title = Managing Car-Crunching Sinkholes |journal = Public Roads |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |volume = 63 |issue = 1 |issn = 0033-3735 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/99julaug/minehole.cfm |access-date = February 2, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Ohio: ODOT Battles Mines |date = September 23, 1996 |work = [[Dayton Daily News]] |page = 5B |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 11639039 |id = {{ProQuest|253983623}}}}</ref> The [[Fort Henry Bridge]] (which carries I-70), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge and the [[Wheeling Suspension Bridge]] were all closed in January 2005, stopping any traffic from Ohio or Wheeling Island from entering mainland West Virginia for a few days because barges broke loose during heavy flooding along the Ohio River.<ref name="floods closed">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AvkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EW0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5545,382023&dq=fort-henry-bridge&hl=en |title = West Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Flood |last = Schelzig |first = Erik |date = January 7, 2005 |work = [[Kentucky New Era]] |location = Hopkinsville, Kentucky |access-date = January 29, 2011 |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 14064300 }}</ref> The [[Wheeling Tunnel]] was closed for reconstruction work in 2007,<ref name="eb overdue">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/501445.html?nav=515 |title = Ready or Not, Tunnel to Open |last = Connors |first = Fred |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723220806/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/501445.html?nav=515 |archive-date = July 23, 2011 |date = October 27, 2007 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 2269511 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> 2008,<ref name="round 2">{{cite news |url = http://www.whsv.com/westvirginiaap/headlines/25801504.html |title = Motorists Warned to Avoid Wheeling Tunnel |date = July 23, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042833/http://www.whsv.com/westvirginiaap/headlines/25801504.html |archive-date = July 18, 2011 |publisher = [[WHSV-TV]] |location = Harrisonburg, Virginia |access-date = January 24, 2011 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> and 2010,<ref name="wb closed">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/533937.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723220818/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/533937.html |archive-date = July 23, 2011 |title = Tube Closed Until October |last = Johnson |first = J.W., Jr. |date = February 2, 2010 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 2269511 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> causing motorists who wished to travel through on I-70 to detour. The two detour routes were city streets in downtown Wheeling and the I-470 loop.<ref name="round 2" />
Between September 12 and December 22, 1996,<ref>{{cite news |title = Interstate Reopens After Crews Fill Old Mines Under Roadway |date = December 22, 1996 |work = [[The Plain Dealer]] |location = Cleveland |page = 4B |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 7742580 |id = {{ProQuest|291765894}}}}</ref> about {{convert|518|m|ft|order=flip|sigfig=3}} of I-470 in Ohio was closed so ODOT could stabilize and repave the roadway, as the rocks forming the top of an abandoned mine underneath the freeway had become overstressed.<ref name="pr-sinkholes">{{cite journal |last1 = Ruegsegger |first1 = L. Rick |last2 = Lefchik |first2 = Thomas E. |date = July–August 1999 |title = Managing Car-Crunching Sinkholes |journal = Public Roads |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |volume = 63 |issue = 1 |issn = 0033-3735 |url = http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/99julaug/minehole.cfm |access-date = February 2, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Ohio: ODOT Battles Mines |date = September 23, 1996 |work = [[Dayton Daily News]] |page = 5B |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 11639039 |id = {{ProQuest|253983623}}}}</ref> The [[Fort Henry Bridge]] (which carries I-70), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, and the [[Wheeling Suspension Bridge]] were all closed in January 2005, stopping any traffic from Ohio or [[Wheeling Island]] from entering mainland West Virginia for a few days because barges broke loose during heavy flooding along the Ohio River.<ref name="floods closed">{{cite news |url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AvkrAAAAIBAJ&pg=5545,382023&dq=fort-henry-bridge&hl=en |title = West Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Flood |last = Schelzig |first = Erik |date = January 7, 2005 |work = [[Kentucky New Era]] |location = Hopkinsville, Kentucky |isbn = 9781605852171 |access-date = January 29, 2011 |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 14064300 }}</ref> The [[Wheeling Tunnel]] was closed for reconstruction work in 2007,<ref name="eb overdue">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/501445.html?nav=515 |title = Ready or Not, Tunnel to Open |last = Connors |first = Fred |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723220806/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/501445.html?nav=515 |archive-date = July 23, 2011 |date = October 27, 2007 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 2269511 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> 2008,<ref name="round 2">{{cite news |url = http://www.whsv.com/westvirginiaap/headlines/25801504.html |title = Motorists Warned to Avoid Wheeling Tunnel |date = July 23, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042833/http://www.whsv.com/westvirginiaap/headlines/25801504.html |archive-date = July 18, 2011 |publisher = [[WHSV-TV]] |location = Harrisonburg, Virginia |access-date = January 24, 2011 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> and 2010,<ref name="wb closed">{{cite news |url = http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/533937.html |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723220818/http://www.news-register.net/page/content.detail/id/533937.html |archive-date = July 23, 2011 |title = Tube Closed Until October |last = Johnson |first = J.W. Jr. |date = February 2, 2010 |work = The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register |access-date = January 24, 2011 |oclc = 2269511 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref> causing motorists who wished to travel through on I-70 to detour. The two detour routes were city streets in downtown Wheeling and the I-470 loop.<ref name="round 2" />


Then West Virginia governor, [[Cecil H. Underwood|Cecil Underwood]], issued a proclamation on December 7, 2000, the 59th anniversary of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], naming I-470 in West Virginia the USS ''West Virginia'' Memorial Highway, in honor of the [[USS West Virginia (BB-48)|battleship of that name]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Veterans Lead Remembrances of Pearl Harbor: Interstate Named to Commemorate USS ''West Virginia'' |date = December 8, 2000 |work = [[Charleston Daily Mail]] |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 13060388 |id = {{ProQuest|331936842}}}}</ref>
Then–West Virginia governor [[Cecil H. Underwood]] issued a proclamation on December 7, 2000, the 59th anniversary of the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], naming I-470 in West Virginia the USS ''West Virginia'' Memorial Highway, in honor of the [[USS West Virginia (BB-48)|battleship of that name]].<ref>{{cite news |title = Veterans Lead Remembrances of Pearl Harbor: Interstate Named to Commemorate USS ''West Virginia'' |date = December 8, 2000 |work = [[Charleston Daily Mail]] |isbn = 9781605852171 |agency = Associated Press |oclc = 13060388 |id = {{ProQuest|331936842}}|last1 = Hay |first1 = Jerry M. }}</ref>


==Exit list==
==Exit list==
Line 60: Line 64:
|ctdab=Belmont
|ctdab=Belmont
|lspan=2
|lspan=2
|mile=0.000
|mile=0.00
|mspan=2
|mspan=2
|exit=
|exit=—
|type=incomplete
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=OH|I|70|dir1=West|city1=Columbus}}
|road={{jct|state=OH|I|70|dir1=West|city1=Columbus}}
Line 98: Line 102:
|cspan=3
|cspan=3
|location=Wheeling
|location=Wheeling
|mile=0.6
|mile=0.60
|exit=1
|exit=1
|road={{jct|state=WV|US|250|WV|2|city1=Wheeling|city2=Moundsville}}
|road={{jct|state=WV|US|250|WV|2|city1=Wheeling|city2=Moundsville}}
|notes=[[Three-level diamond interchange]]}}
|notes=[[Three-level diamond interchange]]}}
{{WVint|exit
{{WVint|exit
|mile=2.2
|mile=2.20
|exit=2
|exit=2
|location=Bethlehem
|location=Bethlehem
Line 111: Line 115:
|mile=3.94
|mile=3.94
|location=Wheeling
|location=Wheeling
|exit=
|exit=—
|type=incomplete
|type=incomplete
|road={{jct|state=WV|I|70|dir1=east|location1=[[Washington, Pennsylvania|Washington PA]]}}
|road={{jct|state=WV|I|70|dir1=east|location1=[[Washington, Pennsylvania|Washington PA]]}}
Line 125: Line 129:


==External links==
==External links==
{{Commons category|Interstate 470 (Ohio – West Virginia)|nowrap=yes}}
{{Commons category|Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)|nowrap=yes}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
* [http://www.aaroads.com/midwest/i-470_oh.html Interstate 470 in Ohio] at AA Roads
* [http://www.aaroads.com/midwest/i-470_oh.html Interstate 470 in Ohio] at AA Roads
Line 131: Line 135:


{{3di|70}}
{{3di|70}}

{{authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 470 (Ohio-West Virginia)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Interstate 470 (Ohio-West Virginia)}}
[[Category:Interstate 70|470 Ohio]]
[[Category:Interstate 70|4 (Ohio-West Virginia)]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Ohio|70-4]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Ohio|70-4]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in West Virginia|70-4]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in West Virginia|70-4]]
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|70-4 Ohio-West Virginia]]
[[Category:Auxiliary Interstate Highways|70-4 (Ohio-West Virginia)]]
[[Category:Transportation in Belmont County, Ohio|470]]
[[Category:Transportation in Belmont County, Ohio|470]]
[[Category:Transportation in Ohio County, West Virginia|470]]
[[Category:Transportation in Ohio County, West Virginia|470]]

Latest revision as of 15:25, 7 January 2024

Interstate 470 marker

Interstate 470

Map
I-470 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-70
Maintained by ODOT and WVDOH
Length10.63 mi[1] (17.11 km)
6.69 mi (10.77 km) in Ohio
3.94 mi (6.34 km) in West Virginia
Existed1976–present
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-70 near Blaine, OH
Major intersections
East end I-70 in Wheeling, WV
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesOhio, West Virginia
CountiesOH: Belmont
WV: Ohio
Highway system
  • Ohio State Highway System
← SR 450OH→ I-471
← US 460WV→ WV 480

Interstate 470 (I-470) is a 10.63-mile-long (17.11 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway of I-70 that bypasses the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, United States. I-470 is one of 13 auxiliary Interstate Highways in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in West Virginia. The western terminus of I-470 is an interchange with I-70 in Richland Township, Ohio. Traveling southeast through rural Belmont County, I-470 approaches the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, which spans the Ohio River. After crossing the river into Ohio County, West Virginia, the highway continues east toward the Wheeling communities of Bethlehem and Elm Grove and its eastern terminus at I-70 near Elm Grove. The portion of the highway in West Virginia is named the USS West Virginia Memorial Highway by proclamation of then-Governor Cecil H. Underwood on the 59th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Construction of the freeway began in 1975 in the two states. Due to a chronic lack of funding, construction in Ohio was stalled between 1976 and 1981. After a $0.033-per-US-gallon ($0.040/imp gal; $0.0087/L) fuel tax increase, Ohio was able to restart construction, and, by 1983, both states had completed construction on the freeway. The three-level diamond interchange with concurrent highways U.S. Route 250 (US 250) and West Virginia Route 2 (WV 2) on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was thought to be the most complex interchange in West Virginia's Interstate Highway System at the time of construction. On average, between 25,500 and 37,840 vehicles use the highway daily.

Route description[edit]

I-470 westbound at the US 250/WV 2 three-level diamond interchange

The freeway begins at a partial interchange with I-70 in Richland Township, Belmont County, Ohio.[2] An exit for County Road 28 (CR 28), the second-last exit for westbound traffic, provides motorists access to US 40. The highway curves to the southeast, passing near the Belmont Memorial Park and through woodlands. I-70 forms part of the northeastern border of Neffs, Pease Township,[2] and briefly parallels High Ridge Road (CR 214) then meets it at a diamond interchange in Pultney Township.[2] High Ridge Road, to the north, connects back to I-70 and, to the south, links Bellaire to the bypass. I-470 continues easterly into a valley before intersecting a trumpet interchange, leading to another interchange with State Route 7 (SR 7) along the western banks of the Ohio River. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge carries I-470 over three rail lines and the Ohio River (the state line between Ohio and West Virginia).[3][4] The rail lines on the western banks of the river belong to the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway's River Subdivision.[5][6] The American Automobile Association considers the stretch of I-470 though Ohio to be a scenic highway due to its natural beauty.[7]

View east along I-470 past the CR 91/CR 1 exit in Bethlehem

I-470 enters the city limits of Wheeling and Ohio County, West Virginia;[8] the Ohio River Trail, a rail trail, passes under the freeway as I-470 approaches a three-level diamond interchange with US 250 and WV 2.[9] The concurrent highways connect to downtown Wheeling in the north and Benwood to the south. I-70 climbs from the banks of the river into more woodlands before an interchange with West Bethlehem Boulevard, which provides access to the village of Bethlehem to the south. Continuing easterly, I-470 comes to its end at an incomplete interchange with its parent, I-70,[10] over Wheeling Creek near Elm Grove and to the north of the J.B. Chambers Youth Sports Complex and Wheeling Skate Park.[11][12] Traffic from I-470 can only access eastbound I-70, and only traffic traveling westbound on I-70 can access I-470.[10] The Wheeling Creek Trail, which parallels the creek, passes underneath I-470 as it merges into I-70.[9]

I-470 is one of 13 auxiliary Interstate Highways in Ohio and the only auxiliary Interstate Highway in West Virginia.[1] The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH) conduct surveys on their highways to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), a measure of average traffic volume for any day of the year. In 2012, they calculated that 26,500 vehicles traveled along the highway at the eastern terminus in West Virginia, and 37,840 vehicles used I-470 across the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.[13][14] As part of the Interstate Highway System,[15] the entire route is listed on the National Highway System—a system of roads that are important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.[16][17]

History[edit]

An old map showing the path of I-70 and 470 through Wheeling.
1955 map showing the planned routing of Interstate Highways through Wheeling

Plans for a southern bypass of Wheeling were first published in 1955 in Bureau of Public Roads document titled General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas.[18] An environmental impact statement was filed in 1972 by West Virginia, detailing the I-470 interchange with US 250/WV 2 along the eastern banks of the Ohio River.[19] Tunnels used by the nearby LaBelle Nail Plant, LaBelle being the original French word for the Ohio River, were unearthed during construction of this interchange.[20] A 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) segment in West Virginia was bid out at just over $16.5 million (equivalent to $68.8 million in 2023[21]) in 1976.[22]

Ohio had completed the stretch of highway from I-70 to just before the SR 7 interchange by 1976,[23][24] but, due to budget deficiencies, work did not resume in Ohio until 1981. Construction of the bridge linking the two portions of highway was scheduled to be completed by 1981, but construction did not begin until that year.[25] After a $0.033-per-US-gallon ($0.040/imp gal; $0.0087/L) fuel tax increase, Ohio was able to fund the project again. Bids for construction work on the remainder of the Ohio portion of the freeway were solicited in 1981, with an estimated construction time of 37 months for the stretch between I-70 and the bridge.[26]

The West Virginia portion was under construction by 1976,[27] and work in both states was completed by 1983.[28][29] According to WVDOH spokesperson Gary Chernenko, the three-level diamond interchange on the eastern banks of the Ohio River was the most complex interchange in West Virginia at the time of construction.[30] The opening of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, along with another bridge in nearby Moundsville, was thought to have reduced the amount of traffic, and thus tolls collected by the nearby Bellaire Bridge by up to 50 percent in 1987.[31]

Between September 12 and December 22, 1996,[32] about 1,700 feet (518 m) of I-470 in Ohio was closed so ODOT could stabilize and repave the roadway, as the rocks forming the top of an abandoned mine underneath the freeway had become overstressed.[33][34] The Fort Henry Bridge (which carries I-70), the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge, and the Wheeling Suspension Bridge were all closed in January 2005, stopping any traffic from Ohio or Wheeling Island from entering mainland West Virginia for a few days because barges broke loose during heavy flooding along the Ohio River.[35] The Wheeling Tunnel was closed for reconstruction work in 2007,[36] 2008,[37] and 2010,[38] causing motorists who wished to travel through on I-70 to detour. The two detour routes were city streets in downtown Wheeling and the I-470 loop.[37]

Then–West Virginia governor Cecil H. Underwood issued a proclamation on December 7, 2000, the 59th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, naming I-470 in West Virginia the USS West Virginia Memorial Highway, in honor of the battleship of that name.[39]

Exit list[edit]

StateCountyLocationmi[3][40]kmExitDestinationsNotes
OhioBelmontRichland Township0.000.00—
 I-70 west – Columbus		I-70 east exit 219; no access to I-70 east
1Banfield Road / Mall RoadWestbound exit only; eastbound entrance is to I-70 before I-470 begins; provides access to Ohio Valley Mall
Pultney Township3.225.183CR 214
6.3610.246 SR 7 – Bellaire, BridgeportTrumpet interchange to connector with SR 7
Ohio River6.69
0.00		10.77
0.00		Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge
West VirginiaOhioWheeling0.600.971 US 250 / WV 2 – Wheeling, MoundsvilleThree-level diamond interchange
Bethlehem2.203.542Bethlehem ( CR 911)
Wheeling3.946.34—
 I-70 east – Washington PA		I-70 west exit 5A; no access to I-70 west
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Federal Highway Administration (October 31, 2002). "Table 3: Interstate Routes in Each of the 50 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico". Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. OCLC 47914009. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c District 11 (n.d.). District 11 Belmont County State, U.S., I.R. Roadways w/logs Including County and Township Roads (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 16, 2013.{{cite map}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ a b Google (January 24, 2011). "Interstate 470" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  4. ^ Hay, Jerry M. (2008). Ohio River Guidebook. Inland Waterways Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-60585-217-1. Retrieved December 31, 2013 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ Ohio Rail Development Commission (June 2012). 2012 Official Ohio Rail Transportation Map (Map). 1:570,240. Columbus: Ohio Rail Development Commission. § Q8. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  6. ^ Google (December 16, 2013). "Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway: System Map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  7. ^ American Automobile Association. "Ohio" (PDF). Scenic Byways (Report). American Automobile Association. p. 1. Retrieved January 1, 2014.
  8. ^ West Virginia Division of Highways (2011). State of West Virginia (PDF) (Map). No scale given. Charleston: West Virginia Division of Highways. Wheeling inset. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 16, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Wheeling Natural Heritage Area. Wheeling Heritage Trail (PDF) (Map). 1:95,040. Wheeling Natural Heritage Area. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 7, 2011.
  10. ^ a b West Virginia Division of Highways (2005). Wheeling & Moundsville: Marshall & Ohio Counties (PDF) (Map). Urban Area Map. West Virginia Division of Highways. p. 1. Retrieved January 24, 2014.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Hicks, Ian (October 4, 2011). "Ground Broken For Local Miracle Field". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. OCLC 2269511. Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  12. ^ Hanson, Shelley (October 20, 2012). "Skatepark Going Strong After Five Years". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. OCLC 2269511. Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  13. ^ Office of Technical Services (2012). Traffic Survey Report: Belmont County (PDF). Ohio Department of Transportation. pp. 4–5. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  14. ^ West Virginia Department of Transportation (2012). "I-470: Ohio to I-70" (PDF) (Map). Interstate Highway Counts. Scale not given. Charleston: West Virginia Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  15. ^ Slater, Rodney E. (Spring 1996). "The National Highway System: A Commitment to America's Future". Public Roads. 59 (4). Federal Highway Administration. ISSN 0033-3735. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  16. ^ Federal Highway Administration (October 1, 2012). National Highway System: Ohio (PDF) (Map). 1:3,015,936. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  17. ^ Federal Highway Administration (October 1, 2012). National Highway System: West Virginia (PDF) (Map). 1:8,448,000. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  18. ^ Bureau of Public Roads (September 1955). "Wheeling, West Virginia" (Map). General Location of National System of Interstate Highways Including All Additional Routes at Urban Areas. Scale not given. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. p. 99. OCLC 4165975. Retrieved January 24, 2011 – via Wikimedia Commons.
  19. ^ Federal Highway Administration (1972). Route 2 and I-470, Wheeling: Environmental Impact Statement (Report). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Gompers, Theadiane (April 7, 1997). "LaBelle". Wheeling Intelligencer. p. A8. OCLC 2269511. ProQuest 333259571.
  21. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  22. ^ Better Roads. Vol. 46. 1976. p. 119. ISSN 0006-0208. OCLC 1519687.
  23. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1975). Ohio Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). 1:554,400. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. § O10. OCLC 5673562. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  24. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1976). Ohio Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). 1:554,400. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. § O10. OCLC 5673562, 13655720, 35168139. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  25. ^ Robinson, E. O'Neil (July 25, 1983). "Wheeling's I-470 is Troubled Bridge". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. ISSN 1068-624X. Retrieved January 25, 2011 – via Google News.
  26. ^ "Machinery Ready to Roll". The Daily Times. Portsmouth, Ohio. Associated Press. September 15, 1981. p. 11. ISSN 8750-6963. Retrieved January 25, 2011 – via Google News.
  27. ^ West Virginia Division of Highways (1976). West Virginia Official Highway Map (Map). Scale not given. Charleston: West Virginia Division of Highways. Wheeling inset.
  28. ^ Ohio Department of Transportation (1983). Ohio Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:563,200. Columbus: Ohio Department of Transportation. § O10. OCLC 5673562, 13619272. Retrieved January 25, 2011.
  29. ^ West Virginia Division of Highways (January 1998). As a Matter of Fact. West Virginia Division of Highways. p. II‑8. OCLC 45763179.
  30. ^ Hodel, Martha Bryson (November 20, 1980). "New Bridges to Cut Down Travel Time". The Daily Sentinel. Pomeroy, Ohio. Associated Press. p. 1. ISBN 9781605852171. OCLC 16933050. Retrieved January 25, 2011 – via Google News.
  31. ^ Harrison, Eric (March 1, 1987). "For Sale: 1 Toll Bridge In The Heart Of The 'Rust Belt'". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. A19. OCLC 8733259. ProQuest 286123854.
  32. ^ "Interstate Reopens After Crews Fill Old Mines Under Roadway". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Associated Press. December 22, 1996. p. 4B. OCLC 7742580. ProQuest 291765894.
  33. ^ Ruegsegger, L. Rick; Lefchik, Thomas E. (July–August 1999). "Managing Car-Crunching Sinkholes". Public Roads. 63 (1). Federal Highway Administration. ISSN 0033-3735. Retrieved February 2, 2011.
  34. ^ "Ohio: ODOT Battles Mines". Dayton Daily News. Associated Press. September 23, 1996. p. 5B. OCLC 11639039. ProQuest 253983623.
  35. ^ Schelzig, Erik (January 7, 2005). "West Virginia Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Flood". Kentucky New Era. Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Associated Press. ISBN 9781605852171. OCLC 14064300. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  36. ^ Connors, Fred (October 27, 2007). "Ready or Not, Tunnel to Open". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. OCLC 2269511. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  37. ^ a b "Motorists Warned to Avoid Wheeling Tunnel". Harrisonburg, Virginia: WHSV-TV. July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  38. ^ Johnson, J.W. Jr. (February 2, 2010). "Tube Closed Until October". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. OCLC 2269511. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
  39. ^ Hay, Jerry M. (December 8, 2000). "Veterans Lead Remembrances of Pearl Harbor: Interstate Named to Commemorate USS West Virginia". Charleston Daily Mail. Associated Press. ISBN 9781605852171. OCLC 13060388. ProQuest 331936842.
  40. ^ Office of Technical Services (July 16, 2013). Roadway Description Inventory Report: DESTAPE (PDF) (Report). Ohio Department of Transportation. p. 27. Retrieved December 17, 2013.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia).
KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)
KML is from Wikidata
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Interstate_470_(Ohio–West_Virginia)&oldid=1194165556"