By Sara Oppenheimer
For HDMedia
The Charleston Skatepark closed indefinitely Tuesday, as announced on the City of Charleston Facebook page.
The closure comes as part of the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s $74.5 million rehabilitation project of the Interstate 64 Fort Hill Bridge, also known as the Eugene A. Carter Memorial Bridge. The city’s lease on the property will be temporarily suspended until construction is complete.
The skatepark is located under Interstate 64, along Pennsylvania Avenue, just east of the bridge structure.
“We know this skate park is an important part of our community,” Charleston’s Facebook post said, “and we appreciate your patience and understanding while this work is completed.”
Reactions to the closure
The park opened in late 2021, after several months of planning and construction involving several members of the skating community in Charleston. The park is the largest skate park in Kanawha County and is considered a community hub, according to Chris Huckaby, owner of Elk City Cycles, on Charleston’s West Side.
“This was something the community built together,” Huckaby said. “I went to some of the planning meetings. There are kids there every single day, especially during the summer. That’s why it’s so hard to see it go.”
Although other options are available — such as the skate park in Coonskin Park, 6 miles away from the Charleston skate park — Charleston skaters say the condition of the equipment is often subpar or the location too far for consistent skating. Matthew “Scootcraft” Schoolcraft, a Charleston native and lifelong skater, said he most likely will resort to street skating.
“Coonskin’s pretty close, but it’s fallen apart,” Schoolcraft said. “Honestly, I’ll probably just go street skating more. Some people look at it as a safety issue. I look at it as all fun. But you definitely do have chances of getting yelled at by security guards or traffic coming around the corner while you can’t see them. It is a possibility. You’re definitely putting yourself at more risk than being in a designed location for stuff like this.”
The I-64 rehabilitation project
The I-64 Fort Hill Bridge rehabilitation is the top priority in the Charleston area for the DOT, according to the project’s website. The project includes several major structural repairs, including:
- Replacement of the bridge deck and barrier walls
- Replacement of the four access ramps
- Repairs to the bridge’s arch
- Repair and repainting of the concrete piers
Bridge construction is set to begin in earnest in January and finish in May 2028. Updates are available through the project’s website, i64forthillbridge.com
Read more from HDMedia, here.
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