Rural ADA ramp projects awarded by WVDOH

Contracts to install ADA-compliant curb cuts in 12 communities around West Virginia are among 10 projects awarded by the West Virginia Division of Highways on Wednesday, June 29, 2022.

The projects were awarded from a bid letting held Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

“This is all about accessibility,” said Todd Rumbaugh, P.E., WVDOH Chief Engineer of Construction. “This gives people in rural communities with disabilities access to sidewalks without having to be in the roads.”

Under federal law, the WVDOH is required to put in ADA-compliant curb cuts any time they pave a road that is bordered by a sidewalk. By putting in the curb cuts first, paving contractors don’t have to worry about hiring someone to put in the ramps, and smaller contractors are able to get contracts to do the curb cuts. The added efficiency has cut the cost of putting in ADA ramps by half.

On June 29, the WVDOH awarded construction contracts for ADA ramps in 23 locations in Middlebourne and Centerville in Tyler County; 163 locations in Harpers Ferry, Charles Town, and Ranson in Jefferson County; 49 locations in Parson, Davis, Thomas, Circleville, Franklin, and Brandywine in Tucker and Pendleton counties; and ADA ramps in Hundred in Wetzel County.

The projects were awarded from a bid letting held Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

Contracts awarded in June were:

Kelly Paving Inc. was low bidder on an ADA ramp project in Hundred, with a bid of $92,699. (Wetzel County)
Kelly Paving Inc. was also low bidder on an ADA ramp project in Tyler County, with a bid of $110,600. (Tyler County)
SQP Construction Group Inc. was low bidder on an ADA ramp project in Jefferson County, with a bid of $897,900. (Jefferson County)
SQP Construction Group Inc. was also low bidder on an ADA ramp project in Tucker and Pendleton counties, with a bid of $313,900. (Pendleton and Tucker counties)
LMS Construction was low bidder on a pedestrian and bicycle path project in Harrisville, with a bid of $254,258.80. (Ritchie County)
PDK Construction Inc. was low bidder on a guardrail replacement project from Servia to Burnsville Road, with a bid of $2,208,650.75. (Braxton County)
Penn Line Service Inc. was low bidder on a guardrail replacement project in District 5, with a bid of $843,313.39.
Penn Line Service Inc. was also low bidder on a guardrail replacement project in District 9, with a bid of $749,109.
A&A Safety Inc. was low bidder on a project to lay high friction pavement in Walton, with a bid of $173,546.73. (Roane County)
Penn Line Service Inc. was low bidder on a guardrail replacement project in District 3, with a bid of $987,810.

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 that evaluation and approval by the Commissioner. Projects are typically awarded to the lowest bidder with all proper documentation in place.

Rural ADA ramp projects awarded by WVDOH

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