A New Market Street Bridge - Moving Forward Towards More People Downtown
The plan to replace the closed Market Street Bridge is moving from concept to the next steps in implementation, and while it will take a while to complete, downtown Steubenville will feel the impact for decades. The bridge has been shut to all traffic since December 2023, after inspections found serious deterioration. West Virginia has since secured an $87.5 million federal Bridge Investment Program grant toward a full replacement and secured additional state funding necessary to complete the project.
In its most recent update on November 20, 2025, the Herald-Star reported that the West Virginia Department of Transportation is finalizing an engineering contract with HDR Engineering, the same firm that helped deliver the Wellsburg–Brilliant bridge. BHJ Executive Director Mike Paprocki told commissioners the contract is still pending but expected soon, meaning detailed design work has not yet begun. Once that agreement is signed, HDR and WVDOH will begin the heavy lift of studying alternatives, designs, and impacts.
You can sign up for updates directly from the BHJ-MPC here - https://www.bhjmpc.org/market-street-bridge/. Public meetings are expected soon in connection with reviewing locations for the new bridge and related impacts.
Before its closure, the Market Street Bridge carried thousands of vehicles per day according to this governmental study. Many of those trips were short, local movements between Steubenville, outlying neighborhoods, and Brooke County. A modern replacement with safe sidewalks and bike access could restore thousands of daily crossings and add new pedestrian and cyclist trips—resulting in more people and shorter trips to downtown businesses.
For the Downtown Steubenville Business Association, that matters a lot. More daily crossings mean more potential customers for restaurants, coffee shops, retailers, service businesses, and future riverfront development. A thoughtfully designed bridge and approach route can channel visitors straight into downtown rather than around it, turning a simple river crossing into an invitation to stop, shop, and explore.
In short, the new Market Street Bridge is not just a transportation fix—it’s another connection between downtown Steubenville and our friends and neighbors in West Virginia. The Downtown Steubenville Business Association is committed to being at the table, advocating for strong downtown access, good signage, safe streets, and a final design that helps our historic core thrive long after the new bridge opens.
