WVDOH announces project awards totaling more than $40M
- - Turman Morton Inc. was low bidder on a bridge replacement project on Manilla Creek in Putnam County, with a bid of $937,006.60.
- - R.K. Construction Inc. was low bidder on a slide repair on Willowwood Road in Summers County, with a bid of $718,888.59.
Bids on two projects – a project to restore a section of the Sewell Trail in Babcock State Park in Fayette County and a slide correction project on Pine Grove and Barrackville Road in Marion County – came in over estimate and are under further review by WVDOH.
WVDOH continues to hold bid lettings and contract awards remotely to move projects forward while protecting the public from COVID-19. 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 approaches for 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 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 which has all proper documentation in place.
