Vehicles approach the Memorial Bridge from the West Virginia side. The Wood County Commission has been offered control of the Memorial Bridge in Parkersburg. (File Photo)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission has been offered control of the Memorial Bridge in Parkersburg.

Parkersburg city officials are considering divesting the toll bridge, potentially allowing it to be sold in an auction, Wood County Commission President Blair Couch said Monday.

The commission received a letter from city officials asking if the county was interested in taking possession of the bridge as part of the process in eventually selling it. The city, which has had ownership of the bridge since the late 1990s, has to offer it to the county.

”You guys would essentially have the right to take over ownership of the bridge,” said Wood County Prosecutor Pat Lefebure as he advised the commission. ”But with that, you would also assume all of the ownership, including repairs, maintenance and potential demolition, along with that.”

Lefebure said the city is going through the requirements under state code to divest itself of the bridge.

If the county passes, city officials will seek permission from the West Virginia Public Service Commission, which by state law has authority over toll bridges, to sell the structure. The PSC would order an inspection of the bridge to determine what work, if any, needs done, then issue an order allowing or not allowing the sale, with the criteria from the inspection taken into account, city officials have said.

The commission has 90 days from Jan. 15 before it has to make a decision, Lefebure said, adding that would put a final decision due sometime in April.

The Memorial Bridge was built in 1954.

Commissioner Jimmy Colombo, who was Parkersburg mayor at the time, said the city assumed ownership of the bridge to maintain the bridge as opposed to having the bridge immediately torn down.

Commissioner Robert Tebay asked what would happen if the county passes on the bridge. Lefebure said he believes the city would attempt to sell it to a private company.

”That would be a shame if that bridge is torn down and not replaced,” Tebay said.

Officials said they thought there was interest by someone in the bridge.

Couch asked the commission if it wanted a toll bridge.

”We don’t have an engineering department or a maintenance department for roads,” he said. ”That is not us. We don’t do that.”

However, the commission will be seeking information on the bridge before making a formal vote.

Officials said they need to know what the city’s final intentions are for the bridge. They also want numbers and statistics on bridge usage.

Tebay said the loss of the bridge would impact the Park Shopping Center greatly and would impact people going to and from Washington County which could impact other businesses; the other commissioners agreed with this.

They also were worried about heavy traffic in downtown Parkersburg trying to access the Parkersburg-Belpre Bridge.

Couch wants to see if the city is working toward getting a new bridge built through a private company where the Memorial Bridge now stands.

”I see that as a worthy goal,” he said.

City officials have said eventually the span will reach the end of its useful life, and the cost to replace it could be $80 million to $100 million. They believe the bridge can be maintained and kept operational for another 25-30 years.

The bridge is entirely funded through toll revenues and generates about $1.8 million a year, according to city budget documents. There is over $4 million in a demolition fund for the bridge, they added.

The commission will send a letter to Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce seeking information on the bridge. A hearing is being set for Feb. 14 for the commission to take up the issue again.

In other business, Parkersburg city planner Michael Rosso and Parkersburg City Development Director Rickie Yeager appeared before the commission to seek approval for the annexation by the City of Parkersburg for 19 parcels of property along 19th Avenue in the Willoughby neighborhood.

”They petitioned the city and submitted the paperwork,” Yeager said of the property owners. ”They submitted the documentation that they wanted to come into the community. We are moving through the process to get that finalized.”

Parkersburg City Council has approved the annexation. A petition is being submitted to the county. If that is approved it goes back to council for final approval, Yeager said.

The commission has scheduled a public hearing on Feb. 14 to consider the matter.