WVDOH Accepts Bids Remotely for 32 Projects

CHARLESTON, WV – Nine bridge repair or replacement projects are among 32 projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.

The projects will be paid for with funding from Gov. Jim Justice's Roads to Prosperity highway construction and maintenance program. Several other bridge projects included in the letting will be paid for with money requested by Justice in June and approved by the West Virginia Legislature.

State Bridge Engineer Tracy Brown said all the bridges included in the Roads to Prosperity program are older structures that cost a lot of money to keep safe for the public.

“One was built in 1916,” Brown said. “Obviously, they get more expensive to maintain the older they get.

“Being able to use the money the governor has given us to replace those with new structures will save the taxpayers money in the long run,” Brown said.

The Sept. 14 letting included the following projects:

Barboursville Curb Ramps (Cabell County)
Bethany Pike (Brooke County)
Dallas Pike Interchange (Ohio County)
Nitro 2^nd Avenue Streetscape (Kanawha County)
Terra Alta On the Move project (Preston County)
District 6 guardrail replacements
RHL Boulevard connector (Kanawha County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Big Creek Bridge (Fayette County) (Roads to Prosperity)
I-81 Exit 23 southbound exit improvement (Berkeley County)
Indian Creek Bridge (Summers County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Servia-Burnsville Road project (Braxton County)
Mahan Bridge (Fayette County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Barboursville Park Equestrian Trail (Cabell County)
Kimball Slab Bridge (McDowell County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Bartley Bottom Bridge (McDowell County) Roads to Prosperity)
US 340 Left Turn Lane project (Jefferson County)
Tuckers Branch Slide correction (Putnam County)
District 4 guardrail replacement
Princeton Thorn Street project (Mercer County)
Annabelle Bridge (Mercer County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Mohawk Arch project (McDowell County)
Cairo Road project (Ritchie County)
PFC WF Harrison Memorial Bridge (Jackson and Kanawha County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Private Willis Brunty Memorial Bridge (Lincoln County)
Thorofare Road Bridge (Kanawha County) (Roads to Prosperity)
Millard Bridge (Roane County) (Roads to Prosperity)
PFC David H. Shifflet Memorial Bridge overlay (Randolph County)
Princeton Main Street sidewalk project (Mercer County)
Extra Arch Bridge (Putnam County)
Flinderation Bridge (Harrison County)
Stonelick Creek Bridge (Jackson County)
Corporal Thomas Bennett Memorial Bridge (Monongalia 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 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 which has all proper documentation in place.

WVDOH Accepts Bids Remotely for 32 Projects

Contact: