CHARLESTON, WV – Two bridge replacement projects were among 21 construction projects awarded by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, and Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022.
The contracts were awarded from a bid letting held Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.
Rock Forge Bridge Company was awarded at contract for $2,999,002.55 to replace the Caney Branch Bridge in Mingo County. The bridge currently carries a three-ton weight restriction, and would leave local residents stranded if not replaced.
SMH Construction Company Inc. was awarded a contract for $2,178,679.44 to replace the Burnsville T-Beam Bridge in Braxton County. The bridge, built in 1929, was closed to traffic in 2019 due to its deteriorated condition.
“Unfortunately, this bridge came to the end of its service life before funding was available to replace it,” said WVDOH State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown, P.E. “Gov. Jim Justice’s Roads to Prosperity program has made additional funding available to help us replace some of these older structures before they get to the point of requiring closure, which we realize can sometimes severely disrupt people’s daily lives.”
Contracts awarded in September were:
- PDK Construction Inc. was low bidder on a project to replace guardrail in District 2, with a bid of $2,192,246.25.
- West Virginia Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project from Green Bottom to the Mason County line in Cabell County, with a bid of $1,698,323.63.
- Kelly Paving Inc. was low bidder on a mine maintenance project along Interstate 70 in Ohio County, with a bid of $8,222,620.
- Penn Line Service Inc. was low bidder on a project to replace guardrail in District 4, with a bid of $1,513,087.98.
- Rock Forge Bridge Co. LLC was on a project to replace the Caney Branch Bridge in Mingo County, with a bid of $2,999,002.55.
- NLS Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project on Big Wheeling Creek in Marshall County, with a bid of $1,735,627.13.
- West Virginia Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project from Lester to Sophia in Raleigh County, with a bid of $1,738,152.
- West Virginia Signal and Light Inc. was low bidder on a traffic signal project on Brushy Fork Road in Upshur County, with a bid of $220,460.60.
- J.F. Allen Company was low bidder on a paving project from Thomas to Pierce in Tucker County, with a bid of $358,899.45.
- LMS Construction was low bidder on a sidewalk project in downtown Shinnston in Harrison County, with a bid of $156,446.
- Kelly Paving Inc. was low bidder on an ATV trail project in Mountwood Park in Wood County, with a bid of $92,929.
- Ohio-West Virginia Excavating Co. was low bidder on a streetscape project on Pleasant Street in Monongalia County, with a bid of $1,479,143.
- Davis H. Elliot Construction Company Inc. was low bidder on a traffic signal project in Wellsburg in Brooke County, with a bid of $747,500.40.
- Bear Contracting LLC was low bidder on a paving project from Buffalo Creek to Shoals in Wayne County, with a bid of $1,027,572.80.
- West Virginia Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project from Dunns to Flat Top Road in Mercer County, with a bid of $967,875.
- Kelly Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project from Hickman Run Road to Greenwood Road in Tyler County, with a bid of $1,530,164.99.
- Belt Paving Inc. was low bidder on a paving project from the Grant County line to Skyline in Mineral County, with a bid of $965,640.15.
- J.F. Allen Company was low bidder on a paving project from Buffalo Hills to Franklin in Pendleton County, with a bid of $414,829.75.
- Specialty Groups Inc. was low bidder on a traffic signal project on First Avenue in Nitro in Kanawha and Putnam counties, with a bid of $1,013,000.
- SMH Construction Company Ince was low bidder on a project to replace the Burnsville T-Beam Bridge in Braxton County, with a bid of $2,718,679.44.
- LMS Construction was low bidder to install a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon on Patteson Drive in Monongalia County, with a bid of $349,857.
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.
