Drivers who white-knuckled their way through the pothole-riddled stretch of I-79 near Bridgeport last winter can breathe easier.
The West Virginia Division of Highways awarded a $19 million contract to reconstruct and repave the 8-mile section between Anmoore and Saltwell Road, according to a press release. The work will fix drainage problems that have allowed water to pool on the roadway and tear apart the pavement.
“That’s the greatest project we have going on in District 4,” said WVDOH District 4 Manager Earl Gaskins. “It’s the one we’ve been waiting for.”
The state patched the section three times this year alone. Gaskins said the stretch has been a problem for several years.
Mountaineer Contractors Inc. won the contract for $19,093,094.23. The work includes reconstruction, drainage improvements and new pavement on the six-lane section of interstate.
“This project will take care of a section of I-79 that’s been a problem for several years,” Gaskins said.
The project will reduce maintenance costs and create a safer road surface for drivers, according to the release.
The contract was awarded Oct. 28 as part of a special bid letting that included 19 highway projects across West Virginia.
Other projects awarded include a $2 million paving and drainage project on US 19, WV 20 and connector roads in Clarksburg, a $1.3 million paving project on North River Avenue in Weston and a $957,559 culvert replacement on Alexander Road in Upshur County.
The largest contract went to West Virginia Paving Inc. for $20.4 million to add a turn lane, median barrier wall, paving and guardrail work on the New River Gorge Bridge.
