A project to replace an aging bridge named after a historic Jackson County native is among 18 construction projects awarded by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, and Wednesday, January 8, 2025. The projects were awarded from a bid letting conducted on Tuesday, December 17, 2024.
WVDOH State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown, P.E., said the U.S. Army 2LT Clarence Dragoo Memorial Bridge, which carries Old WV 21 across Sycamore Creek in Jackson County, will be replaced with a 107-foot two-lane bridge with sidewalks. The original bridge was built in 1925 and carried weight restrictions.
Brayman Construction Corporation was awarded a contract to replace the bridge, with a bid of $6,092,500.35.
In 2018, the bridge was named in honor of Clarence Dragoo, a Sandyville native who lost his life in the closing months of World War II. Dragoo, a navigator on a B-24 bomber, was on a mission over Italy on Wednesday, February 28, 1945, when his bomber took heavy antiaircraft fire over the target. Dragoo and the rest of his crew survived the bombing run, but their aircraft crashed in the Adriatic Sea, taking all 11 crew members with it.
Dragoo’s remains were unrecovered until 2015, when they were returned to Jackson County for final burial.
Brown said the bridge will be replaced in stages to allow traffic to remain on the bridge during construction. The downstream half of the bridge will be replaced first, followed by the upstream side.
Contracts awarded from the December 17 bid letting include:
| Contractor | Project Description | Amount | County & Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Contracting LLC | Paving project on Third Avenue in Huntington from Eighth Street to 21st Street | $878,682.47 | Cabell County |
| Thaxton Construction Company Inc. | Slide repair on Little Fudges Creek Road | $144,141.50 | Cabell County (Roads to Prosperity) |
| Phoenix Excavating LLC | Slide repair on the Neal Slide | $370,571 | Wayne County (Roads to Prosperity) |
| Thaxton Construction Company Inc. | Slide repair on Fisher Bowen Branch Road | $348,104 | Wayne County (Roads to Prosperity) |
| West Virginia Paving Inc. | Paving on US 60 from 29th Street to Peyton Street | $3,326,032.62 | Cabell County |
| Meadows Stone & Paving Inc. | Paving on US 19 from Flatwood to Heaters Road | $536,206.63 | Braxton County |
| Meadows Stone & Paving Inc. | Paving on WV 5 from Sand Fork to Burnsville Road | $828,534.76 | Gilmer County |
| Meadows Stone & Paving Inc. | Paving on Gassaway Road | $1,130,083.27 | Braxton County |
| West Virginia Paving Inc. | Paving on Georgetown-Horner Road | $1,031,250.19 | Lewis County |
| Green Acres Contracting Company Inc. | Guardrail project in District 3 | $450,160 | Calhoun, Jackson, Pleasants, Roane, Wirt, and Wood counties |
| Belt Paving Inc. | Paving on WV 29 from Deep Run Hollow to Delray | $918,650 | Hampshire County |
| PDK Construction Inc. | Guardrail project in District 2 | $4,443,014.62 | Logan, Mingo, and Wayne counties |
| West Virginia Paving Inc. | Paving on US 60 from Glenn Ferris to Gauley Bridge | $2,304,981.88 | Fayette County |
| Phoenix Excavating LLC | Rehabilitation of the Youth Camp Girder Bridge | $1,422,623.55 | Upshur County |
| West Virginia Paving Inc. | Paving on WV 3 from Jumping Branch to Nimitz | $722,637.86 | Summers County |
| West Virginia Paving Inc. | Paving on WV 12 from Peterstown to Bozoo Road | $1,188,963.82 | Monroe County |
| Brayman Construction Inc. | Replacement of the U.S. Army 2LT C. Dragoo Memorial Bridge | $6,092,500.35 | Jackson County |
| SMH Construction Company Inc. | Rehabilitation of the GR Bob Johnson Memorial Bridge | $518,969.62 | Logan 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.
