Additional fuel tax projects among 10 contracts awarded by commission

Contracts totaling $58.9 million for 10 highway projects around the state, including two pavement preservation projects made possible by increased fuel tax revenue, were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its October meeting in Cheyenne.

Hedquist Construction of Mills submitted the low bid of $18.5 million for improvements to US 20-26 and WYO 254 west of Casper. The work will include a pavement overlay and shoulder widening on about 2 miles of US 20-26 between I-25 and the Casper Creek Bridge. A 1.5-mile section of WYO 254, including the bridge over US 20-26, will be rebuilt and widened from the current two lanes to five lanes. The bridge also will be raised to increase clearance underneath, and the interchange ramps will be realigned. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Six miles of US 287 immediately north of the Colorado border will be upgraded to four-lane divided highway under a $17.9 million contract won by Kirkland Construction of Rye, Colo. The new four-lane section will be immediately south of the 4-mile Tie Siding section widened to four lanes in 2009. The work is expected to be done by July 31, 2016.

Safety will be improved on nearly eight miles of WYO 112 immediately north of Hulett under an $8.3 million contract awarded to Simon Contractors of Cheyenne. The highway is experiencing increased traffic due to energy development, and the aging pavement is deteriorating. The project will include widening the road to include four-foot safety shoulders, installation of guardrail and grading to flatten embankments beside the road. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Simon also won a $4.5 million contract for reconstruction of Laramie’s Grand Avenue between 15th and 21st streets. The contract award is conditional, pending approval by the Laramie City Council. The project completion date is Sept. 30, 2014, but the goal is to have traffic restored before classes begin at the University of Wyoming next fall.

Increased fuel tax revenue will be used for resurfacing 9.5 miles of US 189 between Interstate 80 and Kemmerer. LeGrand Johnson Construction of Logan, Utah submitted the low bid of $2.8 million for the work scheduled to be done by Oct. 31, 2014.

Additional fuel tax revenue also will be used for a $2.8 million contract for a new layer of pavement on nearly eight miles of US 14 east of Greybull. Lovell’s Mountain Construction was the low bidder for the contract that carries a Sept. 30, 2014 completion date.

Gillette’s Intermountain Construction and Materials won an $839,000 contract to upgrade the CatchNET system that stops runaway trucks on US 16 about six miles west of Buffalo, and to build a parking area about 18 miles to the west for trucks to stop for mandatory brake checks. The project will include adding a “fail safe” net at the end of the CatchNET ramp with three times the strength of the nine nets already installed. Also included will be a solar-powered “Open” sign at the ramp and informational signs at the brake check areas to show the route ahead and how the CatchNET system works. The project is expected to be done by Sept. 30, 2014.

The commission also awarded three contracts for crack sealing on multiple highway sections to:

• Highway Improvement of Harrisburg, S.D., $1.7 million for 136 miles of highways in Big Horn and Fremont counties by June 30;

• Kirkland Construction of Rye, Colo., $841,000 for highway sections in Albany, Carbon, Laramie and Sweetwater counties by June 30; and

• Highway Improvement of Harrisburg, S.D., $740,000 for 112 miles of highways in Campbell, Crook, Johnson, Sheridan and Weston counties by May 31.