WHEELING, W.Va.—

During a development committee meeting in City Council chambers Thursday, City Manager Robert Herron announced that sidewalk projects on Wheeling Island and 23rd Street in Center Wheeling have been put on hold, and the money to fund them will go to replace the deteriorating Schenk Bridge that crosses Big Wheeling Creek and connects Fulton to the peninsula.

"We had set aside $150,000 for a sidewalk and curb project, part of our Community Development Block Grant, but we need that money now to help with the bridge replacement. This is a much more serious issue to take care of," said Herron.

In total, the city will allocate $219,000 from CDBG to replace the bridge, and the rest will most likely come from the capital improvement budget; however, the final decision on where all the funding will come from has still not been decided.

"We're going to need about $400,000 for this bridge," said Herron.

Herron said a few years ago, a hole started developing in the bridge, and another one returned about a month ago, prompting them to move the replacement project, which was slated in a few years, up to present day.

A public hearing will take place April 2 to discuss the reallocation of CDBG funding, and then a vote to contract the bridge project out will go to City Council for its approval.