CHARLESTON, WV – The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) announced this week that Triton Construction Inc. was recently awarded a contract for $45,563,870 to replace three pairs of bridges on Interstate 79. The contract is from a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

The project will replace the Narrow Bridges near Exit 136, the Little Creek Bridges near mile marker 140, and the Wades Run Bridges at mile marker 160 at the West Virginia state line. The bridges were built between 1966 and 1968.

The bridge replacement project is in conjunction with another construction project to renovate 13 other bridges along a 40-mile stretch of I-79 between Lost Creek and Interstate 68 near Morgantown.

In December, Gov. Jim Justice approved the award of a $62.455 million project to Triton Construction Inc. to renovate the spans. The two contracts will replace or renovate all the major bridges along I-79 in north central and northern West Virginia.

For a list of construction projects awarded by the WVDOH in January, click here.

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 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.