A project to pave a five-mile section of Interstate 77 between Fairplain and Ripley Road is among 25 construction projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Area projects in the January 9 bid letting include:
- Chapel Road Slide #2 slide repair and piling wall. (Braxton County)
- WV 62 paving, Cross Lanes to Rock Branch. (Kanawha and Putnam counties)
- District 3 road striping and pavement markings. (Calhoun, Jackson, Ritchie, and Roane counties)
- Roadway striping and pavement markings. (Boone, Clay, Kanawha, and Mason counties)
- Roadway striping and pavement markings. (Calhoun, Jackson, Wirt, and Wood 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 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.
