KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOAY) – Governor Patrick Morrisey (R-WV), transportation officials, and state leaders reopened the iconic Earl M. Vickers Memorial Bridge in Montgomery after a $22 million rehabilitation.
Residents couldn’t be happier to have their bridge, on the Kanawha River (linking US Route 60 and WV Route 61), back and put all the inconvenience and frustration behind them.
We have to keep investing in West Virginia’s small communities and people.
“Today is a celebration not only of Montgomery and Smithers, but of all small towns across our state,” Morrisey said, adding that this required collaboration. “I’m going to do as much as I can to link our small communities together. And we’re putting renewed focus on the roads and the bridges. I’m glad we were able to get this done in the timeframe that we did.”
According to Montgomery Mayor Greg Ingram, they made every provision for their emergency services to have first use of the bridge when it was a single lane with stop signs. He says the Department of Transportation was an amazing partner during this process.
“That’s what I want to tell the residents of the Upper Kanawha Valley — the Department of Highways had it closed for four years. Mayor Cavalier and I closed (the renovations) today,” said Ingram.
They witnessed collective resilience in the face of such a challenge.
“We’d like to thank everyone involved in getting us to this point,” Smithers Mayor Anne Cavalier said. “I know there were some difficulties along the way. The first part of construction is always destruction, but we’ve made it through.”
The City of Montgomery had its day.
“Let’s open back up and get the economy rolling up here again,” said Ingram. “Hopefully, everyone will appreciate the hard work that went into here, because this bridge is absolutely beautiful.”
It is a symbol of hope.
“Our two communities, along with the other partners and communities in the Upper Kanawha Valley — we couldn’t be happier,” Cavalier said.
