Interstate 470 (Ohio–West Virginia)

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, in the US. 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 turns 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.

Interstate 470

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 W. Va.
Existed1976–present
Major junctions
West end I-70 near Blaine, Ohio
Major intersections US 250 in Wheeling, W. Va.
East end I-70 in Wheeling
Location
CountryUnited States
StatesOhio, West Virginia
CountiesOH: Belmont
WV: Ohio
Highway system
  • Main
  • Auxiliary
  • Suffixed
  • Business
  • Future
  • Ohio State Highway System
  • Interstate
  • US
  • State
  • Scenic
  • West Virginia State Highway System
  • Interstate
  • US
  • State
← SR 450OH→ I-471
← US 460WV→ WV 480

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
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
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 $59.6 million in 2020[21]) in 1976.[22]

Ohio had completed the stretch of highway between 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] 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 spokesperson Gary Chernenko.[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–Governor Cecil H. Underwood of West Virginia 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
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
  •  Ohio portal
  •  U.S. Roads portal

References
  1. 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. 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.
  3. 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. 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. 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.
  11. Hicks, Ian (October 4, 2011). "Ground Broken For Local Miracle Field". The Intelligencer & Wheeling News Register. OCLC 2269511. 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. Federal Highway Administration. 59 (4). 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. (2022). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved February 12, 2022. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth 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. Federal Highway Administration. 63 (1). 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. "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.
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