Commission awards $12 million in highway contracts in February

Motorists driving on a section of US 16 between Ten Sleep and Buffalo will soon experience a smoother pavement surface.

The Wyoming Department of Transportation will smooth the pavement by removing the ruts on 9 miles of US 16 in Big Horn and Washakie counties. The work on US 16 will also include guardrail upgrades. WYDOT will pay for the project using 10-cent fuel-tax revenue. The contract completion date is Oct. 31.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., of Worland, the $3.3 million contract during its meeting on Feb. 16.

The commission awarded that contract and seven others totaling $12 million. The commission also rejected all bids for the reconstruction of almost 4 miles of road between Hoback Junction and Jackson in Teton County. Project plans and specifications will be revised and the project re-advertised.

The rest of the contracts the commission awarded include road surfacing work, guardrail improvements and variable speed limit sign work. The road surfacing work is part of WYDOT’s strategy designed to preserve the state’s investment in its infrastructure. The work consists of making repairs to the top section of the road without having to reconstruct it completely.

The commission awarded Streamline Markings Inc., of Billings, Montana, a $2 million contract for an epoxy-striping project along several high-traffic roads such as Interstate 80.

Epoxy striping paint is more durable and lasts longer, which is why WYDOT crews use it in high-traffic areas. The contract completion date is Oct. 31.

Cache Valley Electric Co., of Salt Lake City, won a $1.6 million contract to install several variable speed limit signs on I-80 between the Utah state line and Evanston.

The work will also include a road closure system on the onramps to I-80 from US 189 and a side-mounted dynamic message sign near the junction of US 30 and US 189 south of Kemmerer. The contract completion date is Nov. 30.

Simon Contractors of Cheyenne was the low bidder on a $1.5 million pavement overlay project on 6 miles of WYO 335 between Big Horn and Red Grade in Sheridan County.

The work will also include bridge repairs where crews will chip out bad concrete and overlay the driving surface with an epoxy and rock mixture. The epoxy will hold the rock together and seal the bridge deck. WYDOT will pay for the project using 10-cent fuel-tax revenue. The contract completion date is Sept. 30.

The commission awarded McGarvin-Moberly Construction a $1.1 million contract for a 6-mile pavement improvement project on US 20-26 between Moneta and Shoshoni in Fremont County. Crews will smooth the surface to address the ruts. WYDOT will pay for the project using 10-cent fuel-tax revenue. The contract completion date is Aug. 31.

The commission also awarded:

• $994,284 to Knife River, of Cheyenne, for a 6-mile pavement improvement project on WYO 434 and County Road 82 between Worland and Ten Sleep in Washakie County by Aug. 31;
• $901,110 to Advanced Electrical Contracting Inc., of Sheridan, to install several variable speed limit signs and road weather information systems on Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Sheridan by Oct. 31; and
• $778,040 to S & L Industrial, of Cowley, for guardrail removal and upgrades in several areas in Carbon and Sweetwater counties by Oct. 31.