CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Replacement of an aging Boone County bridge and slide repair project that threatened a home in Logan County are among the projects included in a bid letting conducted by the DOH on Tuesday, July 13, 2021.
Both projects will be paid for with funding from Gov. Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program.
WVDOH is reviewing the bids and hopes to award contracts for these projects soon.
State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown said one of the projects will replace a bridge on Seng Creek in Boone County. Built in 1977, the bridge is crossed daily by school buses.
Brown said WVDOH has repaired the bridge and kept it safe, but it is reaching the end of its usable life. “We maintain our bridges to get the most use out of them,” Brown said. “At this point, it’s time to replace a bridge that has served the public for a long time.”
WVDOH also let a project to correct a slide on Bungalow Woods Road in Logan County that threatened a home several years ago. WVDOH purchased the house, and intends to demolish the structure.
“Slides are one of our biggest challenges. When a mountain decides it’s time, we have to respond,” said District 2 Engineer Rob Pennington.
Also included in the bid letting is a project to replace a WVDOH headquarters building that burned in Webster County in 2017.
Stephen Cogar, 22, was killed when fire broke out in the WVDOH garage at Cherry Falls in December 2017. “The tragic fire at our Webster County facility left us mourning the loss of a co-worker while trying to find new accommodations to work out of,” said WVDOH District 7 Engineer Brian Cooper. “During this time, I witnessed the compassion, dedication, and resiliency of our employees and the community. For the past four years, these employees have continued to provide excellent service to the public while working in less-than-ideal conditions. Therefore, I am excited to receive bids and break ground on a new, modern facility in Webster County.”
The July 13 letting included the following projects:
- Bellington to Philippi Road resurfacing (Barbour County)
- Ivydale to Servia Road resurfacing (Clay County)
- Midland Trail resurfacing (Putnam County)
- Statewide interstate striping
- Statewide striping on Appalachian corridors
- Elk Creek East Bridge rehabilitation (Harrison County)
- Burroughs Street ADA ramps (Monongalia County)
- Camp Fairchance Bridge deck overlay (Marshall County)
- Pennsboro to Greenwood resurfacing (Ritchie County)
- Westover to Star City resurfacing (Monongalia County)
- Hurricane Main Street sidewalks (Putnam County)
- Interstate 81 exits 12, 13 and 14 ramp resurfacing (Berkeley County)
- Racetrack to Congo Arroyo Road resurfacing (Hancock County)
- Wayne sidewalks (Wayne County)
- Seneca Trail paving (Greenbrier County)
- Reader to Porters Falls resurfacing (Wetzel County)
- Belle-Diamond traffic signals (Kanawha County)
- Milton Interchange lighting (Cabell County)
- Col. Hiteshew Memorial Bridge cleaning and painting (Lewis County)
- Staunton to Parkersburg resurfacing (Wood County)
- Washington Avenue paving (Cabell County)
- Silverton to Medina resurfacing (Jackson County)
- Horsepen to Gilbert resurfacing (Mingo County)
- Pearcy Run Bridge rehabilitation (Randolph County)
- East Wetzel Trail resurfacing (Wetzel County)
- District 9 guardrails
- Westmoreland traffic signals (Kanawha County)
- Dunbar downtown streetscape (Kanawha County)
- Wolf Summit to Adamston Road resurfacing (Harrison County)
- Bungalow Wood Road piling wall (Logan County) (Roads to Prosperity)
- Seng Creek Bridge replacement (Boone County) (Roads to Prosperity)
- District 7 guardrails
- District 5 guardrails
- Webster County headquarters replacement (Webster County)
- Sistersville resurfacing (Tyler 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.com and 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.
