An important section of the King Coal Highway and a portion of the Beckley Z-Way bypass as well as a portion of I-79 between Frametown and Big Otter are among 25 projects in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.
The stretch of I-79 between Big Otter and Frametown Road in Braxton and Clay counties will receive a new coat of asphalt.
The King Coal Highway project will extend the existing four-lane highway for about 1.5 miles from Mountain View and create a connector to the town of Gilbert along Gilbert Creek. The project will be funded with money from Gov. Jim Justice’s $2.8 billion Roads to Prosperity program.
The Beckley Z-Way project connects Beaver with South Eisenhower Drive in Beckley and is designed to ease congestion in the area by widening and relocating a portion of US 19. Funding is through Gov. Justice’s Roads to Prosperity program.
Other projects on the June 13 bid letting include King Coal Highway, Mountain View to Gilbert. (Mingo County) (Roads to Prosperity; Big Tribble Bridge relocation and replacement. (Marshall County); District 5 guardrail replacement; Meadow Bridge and area ADA ramps. (Fayette and Greenbrier counties); Hedgesville ADA ramps. (Berkeley County); Ridgely ADA ramps. (Mineral County); Main Street ADA ramps, Clay. (Clay County); East Street ADA ramps, Parkersburg. (Wood County); West Main Street and area ADA ramps, Grafton and Flemington. (Taylor County); McKown Creek Arch Bridge replacement. (Roane County); District 9 guardrail replacement; Osborne Mills Bridge replacement. (Roane County); District 4 guardrail replacement; US 22 Mainline Bridge rehabilitation. (Brooke County); US 33 ADA ramps, Ripley, Ravenswood and Cottageville. (Jackson County); Paint Creek Arch Bridge replacement. (Fayette County); Fairplain to Ripley Road paving, Interstate 77. (Jackson County); District 5 WVDOH headquarters wastewater treatment system, Burlington. (Mineral County); Warm Springs Avenue traffic signal, Martinsburg. (Berkeley County); Beaver to South Eisenhower Drive construction. (Raleigh County) (Roads to Prosperity); Vermillion Street traffic signal, Athens. (Mercer County); Farmdale sidewalk extension, pedestrian, and bicycle facility. (Cabell County); District 1 guardrail replacement and Willey Street (US 119) paving, Morgantown. (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 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.
Devoted to Braxton County, West Virginia