Commission awards $31 million in contracts

March 27, 2012
Contracts totaling nearly $31.2 million for 11 highway projects around the state were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its March meeting in Cheyenne.
 
Work will begin on the new West Belt Loop Road west of Casper under a contract won by Kelley Trucking of Golden, Colo., with a low bid of $19.2 million. The project will include grading and other earthwork and construction of a bridge over the North Platte River. The new road will extend seven miles from the area where WYO 220 transitions from two lanes to four in southwest Casper to US 20-26 at its intersection with the Shoshoni Bypass from Interstate 25. The work will cause some disruption of traffic where the alignment of the new road crosses Poison Spider and Robertson roads. The contract completion date is Nov. 30, 2013.
 
 
A center turn lane will be added to Cheyenne’s Pershing Boulevard between Interstate 25 and Pioneer Avenue under a $3.4 million contract won by Simon Contractors of Cheyenne. The project also will address drainage problems in the area with a new storm drainage system, and the water and sewer systems and sidewalks will be replaced. Work will be completed in three phases, beginning at the east end of the project, and will be suspended during Cheyenne Frontier Days. The contract completion date is Aug. 31, 2013.
 
Cheyenne’s Knife River submitted the low bid of $2.5 million to add passing lanes to the section of US 85 between Cheyenne and the Goshen County line. The work will include building three new passing lane sections, and lengthening two existing passing lane sections. The project is expected to be done by Oct. 31.
 
New snow fence sections will be built along I-80 between Walcott Junction and Cooper Cove under a $1.9 million contract awarded to American Contracting of Cheyenne. The contract completion date is Sept. 30.
 
Gillette’s S&S Builders won a $1.3 million contract for improvements to allow trucks to travel more easily through the intersection of US 14 (Greybull Avenue) and US 16-20 (Sixth Street) in Greybull. The intersection handles heavy truck traffic between bentonite mines east of town and bentonite processing plants to the north. Under the current intersection configuration, trucks coming from the mines are unable to make a right turn to proceed north at the intersection, and must instead make a series of three left turns. The new intersection configuration and traffic signal also will improve traffic flow for southbound trucks turning onto eastbound US 14. The contract completion date is Aug. 31.
Cheyenne’s Simon Contractors submitted the low bid of $1.2 million for patching to preserve the pavement on highways in Albany County by Sept. 30.
 
Hedquist Construction of Mills submitted the low bid of $1 million for improvements to West Yellowstone Highway between Spruce and Walnut streets in Casper. The work is expected to be done by Sept. 30.

Other contracts awarded by the commission during the meeting included:
 
$347,000 to King Enterprises of Casper to replace right-of-way fence along nearly 18 miles of US 20-26 northwest of Casper by Oct. 31;

$219,000 to Dietzler Construction of Torrington for damage repairs on US 14 in the Shell Creek area and on US 16 near Ten Sleep by May 31;
 
$109,000 to Lindstadt Construction of Pavillion for culvert replacement and other work on Washakie County Road 10 and Lane 6 by May 30; and
 
$55,000 to S&S Builders of Gillette for repairs to the I-80 bridge over Two Rivers Road west of Laramie by April. 20.