All schools in Upshur County will close at 1 p.m. today. All B-UHS sporting events today are canceled.

Gov. Justice approves award of two Roads To Prosperity projects: WV 2 Proctor to Kent and Sanderson Bridge

Gov Jim Justice
Gov Jim Justice

CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice announced today that he has approved the bid award for two Roads To Prosperity projects: the West Virginia Route 2 Proctor to Kent Project in the Northern Panhandle and the Sanderson Bridge Project in Kanawha County.

“Both of these projects are important for the communities they serve and all West Virginians should be really proud of how much work our Division of Highways is getting done through my Roads To Prosperity program,” Gov. Justice said. “Even during the pandemic, they continue improving our transportation network, which will allow us to bring more people and businesses into our great state for years to come; not to mention all of the jobs that these projects provide.”

“West Virginia 2 between Proctor and Kent is a vital link through the area. It’s heavily traveled and much-needed,” said Jimmy Wriston, P.E., Deputy Secretary of Transportation. “These two projects would not be possible without Governor Justice’s big, bold vision for the Roads To Prosperity program. It’s so good to finally be able to move projects forward all over the state, projects which would have previously taken much longer to complete. We’re moving forward, more quickly, every day.”

The winning bid for the WV 2 Proctor to Kent project was awarded to A.L.L. Construction Inc. from Mount Storm, WV for a low bid amount of $95,900,000.00.

The project, approximately 5.25 miles in length, upgrades a two-lane stretch of WV 2 to a four-lane.

“This project is one of many on WV 2 that will ultimately provide a safe, convenient highway with increased traffic capacity,” said Melanie Neal, P.E., Project Manager. “This will be the last section in Marshall County to be upgraded to a four-lane highway and the connecting piece between the four-lane existing highway at Proctor and the four-lane highway under construction at Kent.”

When completed, the road will increase safety for the traveling public and make travel in the panhandle more efficient.

The low bid for the Sanderson Bridge was $473,000.91 and that project was awarded to Alan Stone Co. Inc. from Williamstown, WV.

“The Sanderson Bridge project is important because it upgrades a bridge that has already served its time,” said Warren Skaggs, P.E., District 1 Bridge Repair and Design Engineer. “The existing bridge was built in 1970 with a narrow roadway width. It has a 67-foot span length. The deck is wood and not in great condition. The new bridge will be a concrete box beam with a wider roadway length.”

A temporary detour will be in place while the new bridge is completed.

“The existing Sanderson Bridge is what we call a fracture critical structure, and we had to post a weight restriction on it,” said Tracy Brown, P.E., State Bridge Engineer. “The new bridge is structurally redundant, which is a good thing, and it will be built to current standards and design codes. I cannot stress the importance enough of projects like this; it’s not just convenience, it’s public safety. We’ve been able to make a lot of progress with our bridges all around the state, thanks to Governor Justice’s Roads To Prosperity program.”

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