Work to Resume on West Virginia Tunnel after Talks with Insurance Co.

Work could resume soon on the Interstate 70 Wheeling Tunnel in West Virginia and highway officials are still confident they’ll complete the project by the Nov. 1 deadline.

West Virginia Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox said July 15 that officials have reached an agreement with the insurance company covering Ohio-based contractor Velotta Co.

Mattox says work including tile replacements could begin as early as July 21. Once that’s done, electrical work will start that’s expected to mean a roughly two-month shutdown for the westbound side of the tunnel, which is near the Ohio River and the Ohio state line.

The project was originally scheduled to be finished in May 2007, but problems with removing the old tiles pushed the completion date back.