A massive project to clean and paint nine interstate bridges and six interstate ramps through downtown Charleston is among four contracts awarded by the West Virginia Division of Highways on Tuesday, March 1, 2022.
Blastech Enterprises Inc. was awarded a contract for $27,420,996.50 to clean and paint the series of bridges and ramps on Interstate 77 and Interstate 64. Funding is a combination of federal and state monies.
The project includes bridges over Piedmont Road, Bigley Avenue, and Court Street and ramps accessing Court Street, Leon Sullivan Way, and Brooks Street.
Truman Morton Inc. was also awarded a contract for $485,051.44 to replace the Pond Fork Bridge in Boone County. The project will be paid for with fun ding from Gov. Jim Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program.
The bridge was built in 1948 and carries Grapevine Road across Pond Fork. The bridge has been under weight restrictions since 2014 and is subject to yearly inspections.
Elite Industrial Painting Inc. was awarded a contract for $507,364 to clean and paint the Gormania Bridge in Grant County.
Green Acres Contracting Company Inc. was awarded a project for $1,509,502 for signage replacement in Doddridge, Harris, Preston, and Taylor counties.
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 or not 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.