Complete Section of Interstate 79 South of Bridgeport to be Rebuilt “from Ground Up” in Massive Project

A project to rebuild Interstate 79 from the ground up between the Roanoke exit and Jane Lew Road is among 30 construction projects in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) last week.

The WVDOH is currently involved in several complete rebuilds on Interstate 77 and I-79. The work is necessary because the original concrete slabs the interstates are built on are shifting and cracking, and have lived out their lives. Continuing to pave over the existing slabs will cause further problems in the long run.

The reconstruction project will turn the existing concrete slabs into rubble to serve as a solid base for an entirely new asphalt roadway. “It’s kind of the ultimate fix,” said WVDOH State Highway Engineer Jake Bumgarner, P.E.

Another construction project will improve the highway alignment on WV 2 in New Cumberland. Realigning the highway will eliminate two right-angle turns and a railroad crossing.

Projects in the May 13 bid letting include:

• Buffalo Creek Road slide repair. (Lincoln County)

• Davis Branch Road slide repair. (Wayne County)

• Harless Fork Road slide repair. (Lincoln County)

• Big Branch Road slide repair. (Wayne County)

• US 250 paving, Glen Dale to Narrows. (Marshall County)

• US 50 paving, Toll Gate to Greenwood. (Doddridge and Ritchie counties)

• I-79 pavement reconstruction, Roanoke to Jane Lew. (Lewis County)

• WV 2 improvements, New Cumberland. (Hancock County)

• WV 20 paving, Diana to Rock Cave Road. (Webster County)

• South Ruffner Slab Bridge rehabilitation. (Kanawha County)

• US 60 pipe bore project. (Cabell County)

• East Mud River Road slide repair. (Cabell County)

• Middle Bridge repair, cleaning and painting. (Wayne County)

• WV 37 paving, Joels Branch to Echo. (Wayne County)

• Shelton Topping Bridge rehabilitation. (Lincoln County)

• US 50, WV 46, and WV 28 high friction surface treatments. (Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, and Morgan counties)

• Neola Bridge replacement. (Greenbrier County)

• Seneca Trail piling wall. (Tucker County)

• Old Mill Road piling wall. (Lewis County)

• Sycamore Road piling wall. (Harrison County)

• Interstate 68 Overpass Bridge over US 119 rehabilitation. (Monongalia County)

• Interstate striping. (Statewide)

• Rich Mountain piling wall. (Randolph County)

• Center Street Bridge replacement. (Harrison County)

• River Road piling wall. (Pocahontas County)

• Appalachian Corridor striping. (Statewide)

• Mine Bridge replacement. (Ohio County)

• Charles Milar Bridge replacement. (Mineral County)

• Washington Avenue Bridge replacement. (Ohio County)

• Hurricane City Park Bridge rehabilitation. (Putnam County)

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.