The West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) announced today that contracts were awarded for 18 paving projects and five striping projects across the state. The contracts are from a bid letting conducted on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023.
Oglesby Construction Inc. was awarded three contracts for roadway striping including $2,737,300 for District 4 counties, $2,108,902.80 for District 3 counties and $2,779,850 for District 5 counties.
Highway Safety Inc. was awarded two contracts for roadway striping including $2,161,290 for District 1 counties and $2,607,800 for District 2 counties.
When the WVDOH contracts to have roads paved, the contract usually includes painting the stripes down the middle of the road. However, those stripes wear and fade over time, so it’s necessary to restripe them periodically. When that happens, WVDOH accepts bids for countywide restriping contracts.
The contracts awarded for the 18 paving projects included work to be done in Brooke, Wayne, Lincoln, Jackson, Braxton, Barbour, Randolph, Upshur, Mason, Nicholas, Fayette, Boone, Raleigh, Cabell, and Kanawha counties.
For a list of construction projects awarded by the WVDOH from the February bid letting, click here.
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 of that evaluation and approval by the Commissioner. Projects are typically awarded to the lowest bidder with all proper documentation in place.