Release from the West Virginia Department of Transportation:
CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Nine bridge repair or replacement projects are among 26 projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.
The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) is reviewing the bids and hopes to award contracts for these projects soon.
Among the projects paid for with Roads to Prosperity bond monies is a project to relocate a section of WV 41 near US 19 in Raleigh County and replace an existing bridge.
“This will improve traffic flow to the Beckley Z-Way,” said Deputy State Highway Engineer Ryland Musick.
The project will be a key piece in completing the Z-Way, an ongoing Beckley bypass project from Beaver to South Eisenhower Drive intended to ease congestion on heavily traveled Eisenhower Drive.
Another major bridge project that includes much-needed repair and maintenance work is the Veterans Memorial Bridge connecting Weirton with Steubenville, Ohio on US 22.
State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown said the project repairs concrete damage to the bridge and fixes a service elevator that goes to the top of the bridge tower.
Other projects which received bids in this letting are:
- Babcock State Park Sewell Trail restoration (Fayette County)
- North Shegon bridge replacement (Logan County)
- Courthouse to Ingleside Road resurfacing (Mercer County)
- Bonds Creek guardrail replacement (Ritchie County)
- Lindsey Bridge substructure repair (Marshall County)
- Clothier to Jeffrey Road resurfacing (Boone County)
- Smokehouse Fork slide repair (Logan County) (Roads to Prosperity project)
- Jennings Randolph Bridge and approaches repairs (Hancock County)
- Beatrice Bridge replacement (Ritchie County)
- Robinson Run No. 1 bridge replacement (Roane County) (Roads to Prosperity project)
- Corridor H to Leading Creek resurfacing (Randolph County)
- Marlowe to Maryland state line resurfacing (Berkeley County)
- Cacapon Road to Nebo resurfacing (Morgan County)
- Catholic Farm to Becky’s Creek resurfacing (Randolph County)
- Hart’s Run to Tuckahoe resurfacing (Greenbrier County)
- Signing and delineators project (Grant, Hampshire, Jefferson, and Mineral counties) (Roads to Prosperity project)
- Robinson Run No. 2 bridge replacement (Roane County) (Roads to Prosperity project)
- Guardrail reimbursement (McDowell, Mercer, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties)
- Pine Grove, Barrackville Road slide correction (Marion County) (Roads to Prosperity project)
- Elk Mountain Road resurfacing (Pocahontas County)
- Stoney Gap to Courthouse Road resurfacing (Mercer County)
- East Woodrumtown Road slide repair (Summers County) (Emergency Roads to Prosperity project)
- Manilla Creek Bridge replacement (Putnam County)
- Willowwood Road slide repair (Summers County)
The West Virginia Division of Highways continues to hold bid lettings remotely to move projects forward while protecting the public from COVID-19.
Several factors are considered before awarding a bid, including whether a bid falls above or below the WVDOH Engineer’s Estimate and by what percentage. In cases where a bid is above the Engineer’s Estimate, WVDOH must consider the project need, repercussions of not awarding the project, additional funding sources, and whether or not sufficient reasons exist for the differences in estimates. Most projects are reviewed, analyzed, and awarded within a week of the bid letting, but the process can take longer.
When the Division of Highways has a project that is determined to be best constructed by a contractor, it is processed through the bid letting system. A letting is a scheduled opportunity for contractors to review and bid on several construction projects at one time. Lettings are held either once or twice per month and conducted through the Bid Express System online at www.bidx.comand handled through the Contract Administration Division. Contractors need to subscribe to Bid Express before bids can be accepted on any project.
As the date and time approach the deadline of the letting, contractors are expected to place their bids, with complete documentation as necessary. Shortly after the letting, the respective bids are reviewed. All bids are evaluated thoroughly for competitiveness and deemed acceptable through guidelines as approved by policy, reviewed, and approved by the FHWA. Award of the contracts is made based on the recommendation by our Awards Committee based on the results that evaluation and approval by the Commissioner. Projects are typically awarded to the lowest bidder which has all proper documentation in place.
| With work continuing in all 55 counties across the state, the West Virginia Division of Highways and the West Virginia Department of Transportationremind the public of the importance of keeping everyone safe in work zones by keeping “Heads up; phones down!” |
