Roads to Prosperity to pay for safety improvements on Pendleton County switchback

A project to install reinforced guardrails on US 33 to help protect traffic on a mountain switchback is among 32 projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.

The project will be paid for with funding from Gov. Jim Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity program.

The project will build a large retaining wall and install reinforced guardrails along a steep hairpin turn on US 33 as it descends Allegheny Mountain in Pendleton County. The guardrail project is intended to keep vehicles from going off the side of the mountain.

The heavy duty guardrail system includes guardrails on both the front and back of each individual post, and features two tiers of guardrail. The posts supporting the guardrails will also be sunk deeper into the earth than standard guardrails.
A retaining wall will also be constructed to widen the road to properly sink the guardrail supports.

The Feb. 14 bid letting included the following projects:

Thomas Bridge cleaning and painting. (Tucker County)
Washington Street ADA ramps, Charleston. (Kanawha County)
Elk Street and Chapel Road ADA ramps, Gassaway. (Braxton County)
District 1 roadway striping.
District 4 roadway striping.
District 2 roadway striping.
District 3 roadway striping.
District 5 roadway striping.
Bethany Pike paving. (Brooke County)
Patrick Creek to Trautweins paving. (Wayne County)
Interstate 70 eastbound and westbound guardrail replacements. (Ohio County)
Logan County line to Greenshoals paving. (Lincoln County)
Evans to Ripley paving. (Jackson County)
District 10 guardrail end replacements.
Glenville to Burnsville Road paving. (Braxton County)
Clarksburg to Phillipi Road paving. (Barbour County)
Boggs Run Bridge deck overlay. (Marshall County)
Mason to Ravenswood paving. (Jackson County)
Logan Run to Valley Head paving. (Randolph County)
Tennerton Road paving. (Upshur County)
Clover to Tucker County line paving. (Randolph County)
US 60 (Lafayette Street) Lewisburg sidewalks. (Greenbrier County)
Greenbrier River trailhead acquisition and construction, White Sulphur Springs. (Greenbrier County)
Howards Creek hiking and biking trail and pedestrian bridge, White Sulphur Springs. (Greenbrier County)
Leon to Ambrosia Road paving. (Mason County)
North Fork to Cherry River Road paving. (Nicholas County)
Stonehouse to Ponderosa paving. (Fayette County)
Racine to Kanawha County line paving. (Boone County)
Stickney to Naoma paving. (Raleigh County)
Billy Bobs to Ona Elementary US 60 paving. (Cabell County)
Cool Ridge to Shady Springs paving. (Raleigh County)
Tyler Mountain Road paving. (Kanawha County)
Allegheny Mountain barrier guardrails. (Pendleton 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.

As the date and time approach the deadline of the letting, contractors are expected to place their bids, with complete documentation as necessary. Shortly after the letting, the respective bids are reviewed. All bids are evaluated thoroughly for competitiveness and deemed acceptable through guidelines as approved by policy, reviewed, and approved by the FHWA. Award of the contracts is made based on the recommendation by our Awards Committee based on the results of that evaluation and approval by the Commissioner. Projects are typically awarded to the lowest bidder with all proper documentation in place.

Roads to Prosperity to pay for safety improvements on Pendleton County switchback

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