Welch Promotes Complimentary Downtown Parking, Seeks Support For McDowell Street Bridge

The City of Welch website currently features a headline reading "COMPLIMENTARY PARKING AVAILABLE" and an invitation that states, "Parking is now complimentary in Welch! Come enjoy downtown with safe, accessible parking...movies, visiting the park and more!" The text frames free parking as a draw to downtown attractions and a companion to the site’s visitor messaging about family-friendly activities.

Alongside the parking notice, the site runs a campaign banner headlined "BUILD THE BRIDGE ON MCDOWELL STREET" and repeats the call in a backslash-escaped form, "\Build the Bridge on McDowell Street". The page explains, "Show your support for the proposed bridge on McDowell Street in Welch, WV that will span over the railroad underpass and eliminate road closures during high-water events. Your support is vital to making the McDowell Street Bridge a reality. Please sign our letter of support." The site does not list cost, funding sources, or a construction timeline for the proposed bridge.

The municipal site also promotes heritage and recreation with the copy, "Discover Welch! Explore take a walk through our historic commercial district and learn about the people that built our community. Click here." Visitors are encouraged to view a "Welcome to Welch" video: "Be sure to watch our "Welcome to Welch" video for an overview of our friendly community below!" The site’s longer descriptive paragraph emphasizes place identity: "Welch, West Virginia is known as a city built on coal. However, it is also a historic community in the heart of the mountains, where outdoor recreation, like ATV riding and hiking, are as abundant as the peace and quiet found on our safe streets. Visitors will also enjoy learning about our diverse and storied history, which showcases the Appalachian perseverance that helped build America and how Welch, WV continues trail blazing ahead."

Practical contact details appear on the site footer: "City of Welch, WV 88 Howard Street Welch, WV 24801" and phone "(304)-436-3113." The bridge appeal and the parking announcement are accompanied on the page by image references such as "BUILD URL.jpg" and other media filenames, including "City of Welch Events 2021_edited.png" and "Black darker Gold CoalTown USA.png," suggesting graphics and an events block are part of the visitor-facing presentation.

The website includes repeated social prompts - "Facebook" and "FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA..." - and a site form with explicit moderation language: "Form Submission Disclaimer: Respectful language is required. Offensive or inappropriate content may be reviewed, removed, or reported. IP addresses are logged and may be used to trace abusive behavior." The footer also records the text "Thank you for submitting!" and the anomalous copyright line "© 2025-2020 City of Welch, WV" followed by "Website design by PlanIt World Consulting."

Taken together, the complimentary-parking announcement and the "Build the Bridge on McDowell Street" campaign frame a municipal push to boost downtown access and address recurring closures at the railroad underpass. The city page lists 88 Howard Street and (304)-436-3113 for contact; the site itself invites residents and visitors to sign the bridge letter of support and to explore Welch’s historic commercial district and visitor video.