CHARLESTON, WV – On the 14.6 mile final section of US 35 through Mason and Putnam Counties, 16.8 million cubic yards of earth have been moved and 73,568 tons of asphalt are being placed to improve safety for travelers as the much anticipated section of the Roads to Prosperity project nears completion.
Work currently taking place on the roadway includes completion of paving, shoulder work, guardrails and signage to keep the public safe on the new road. West Virginia Division of Highways recently received a contractor request to extend the date for completion of the project to late October, due to a traffic accident which caused damage to a bridge that needed repair, a couple of slides which occurred during construction and weather delays. Any additional unforeseen circumstances could cause delays, but West Virginia Division of Highways is committed to making sure the project is complete, with quality work and that all safety devices are in place for the travelling public before the much anticipated roadway opens.
This project upgrades the remaining two lane section of US 35 to four lanes between the Buffalo Bridge in Putnam County and Beech Hill in Mason County, and provide access to the existing road at Beech Hill. When complete, the project will also include ten new bridges, 38,544 linear feet of drainage pipe and the installation of 100,351 linear feet of guardrail.
West Virginia Division of Highways used a number of contractors on the project. Bizzack Construction LLC is responsible for earthwork, drainage and pipe laying. Bizzack subcontracted with Orders Construction, Haydon Bridge Company and Kanawha Stone for the construction of the new bridges for the project. West Virginia Paving, Inc. is laying the asphalt for the project, using a 28-foot-wide paving machine which can pave two lanes at once.
When the road opens this fall, US 35 will comprise four lanes all the way to the Ohio state line. The nearly $244 million project will improve safety for travelers through the region by eliminating the two lane stretch of road. In its entirety, US 35 runs 412 miles, from Interstate 64 near Teays Valley, through Ohio and Indiana.
|
|