Roads to Prosperity to replace Wayne County bridge

A project to replace a heavily travelled rural bridge in Wayne County is among 19 construction projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.

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

The project will replace the Armilda Bridge that carries WV 37 over Newcomb Creek in Wayne County that is heavily used by coal trucks. The bridge was built in 1950 and has carried weight restrictions since 2016.

The span carries about 1,200 vehicles a day and would require a detour of about 20 miles if not replaced.

Projects on the March 12 bid letting include:

Green Beret Sgt. Jackie Waymire Bridge cleaning and painting. (Cabell County)
Staff Sgt. Armentrout Bridge cleaning and painting. (Lewis County)
National Road ADA ramps. (Ohio County)
Chapline Hill Road ADA ramps. (Ohio County)
Fort Boreman Drive pedestrian and bike facility. (Wood County)
Pullman-Buzzard Run piling wall. (Ritchie County)
WV 14 paving, Spencer to Barrs Road. (Roane County)
US 52 paving, Big Four to Kimball. (McDowell County)
Preston County ditching. (Preston County)
Monongalia County ditching. (Monongalia County)
Harrison County ditching. (Harrison County)
Harman Concrete Bridge replacement. (Randolph County)
Armilda Bridge replacement. (Wayne County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Interstate 68 Exit 7 ramp resurfacing. (Monongalia County)
Queen Street and Moler Avenue signal renovations and pedestrian upgrade (Berkeley County)
US 19 paving, Youngs Monument to Birch River Road. (Nicholas County)
Interstate 81 Exit 20 southbound ramp widening. (Berkeley County)
Captain Benjamin D. Tiffner Memorial Bridge renovation. (Kanawha 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.

Roads to Prosperity to replace Wayne County bridge

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