CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a new round of paving projects being approved by the West Virginia Division of Highways — some of them in the Eastern Panhandle.
The bid awards were from a bid letting conducted by the WVDOH on Tuesday, May 9th.
Contracts awarded in May included:
C. William Hetzer Inc. was low bidder on a paving project in Shepherdstown, with a bid of $789,038.90.
Davis H. Elliot Construction Company Inc. was low bidder on a project to install a traffic light at the Red Rock subdivision in Berkeley County, with a bid of $179,700.
All Concrete Inc. was low bidder on a Roads to Prosperity project to replace the Evitts Creek Bridge in Jefferson County, with a bid of $1,958,906.56.
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The WVDOH awarded several paving projects as contractors ramp up for the summer paving season. Several paving projects include high friction surface treatments to increase safety on state roadways.
Todd Rumbaugh, P.E., WVDOH Chief Engineer of Construction, said high friction surface treatments involve putting special asphalt on roads or curves to increase traction and help keep vehicles from sliding off the road.
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.