Transportation commission awards $29 million in contracts

Contracts totaling $29.2 million for 15 projects around the state were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its September meeting in Cheyenne.

Oftedal Construction of Casper won the largest of the contracts with the low bid of $9.96 million to build a 1,500-foot-long retaining wall below US 26-89 immediately southwest of the new Snake River Bridge south of Hoback Junction. The highway section above the retaining wall also will be rebuilt, connecting previously improved sections of the highway. The project is the final phase in a series of projects to improve US 26-89 between Alpine and Hoback junctions, and the contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Oftedal also was the low bidder at $5.7 million for a contract to improve 3.5 miles of WYO 433 north of Worland. The contract is the 19th to be awarded with revenue from the 10-cent fuel tax increase. The project will be a full-depth reclamation in which the existing pavement will be ground up and mixed with the existing crushed rock road base, and a new layer of pavement added over that base. The existing highway has no shoulders, and the project will add 6-foot shoulders to improve safety. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Casper’s Knife River won a $5.3 million contract for a full-depth reclamation on 3.7 miles of WYO 310 west of Wheatland. The work is expected to be complete by Oct. 31, 2015.

Lovell’s Mountain Construction won a $1.6 million contract for pavement leveling and a chip seal to extend the life of the pavement on an 8.2-mile section of WYO 132 between Ethete and Kinnear by Aug. 31, 2015.

Cheyenne’s Reiman Corp. won a $945,000 contract for bridge rehabilitation and guardrail replacement work at four locations in Carbon County. The work at two locations on US 30 and one each on WYO 76 and WYO 789 is scheduled to be done by Oct. 31, 2015.

Three contracts were awarded for providing stockpiles of crushed rock and salt for use to improve traction on highways during winter weather. Frost Rock Products of Lovell was the low bidder at $1.9 million to provide the stockpiles for highways in Big Horn and Park counties by April 30. Lewis & Lewis of Rock Springs won a $1.4 million contract to provide the stockpiles for highways in Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta counties by May 31. Worland’s McGarvin-Moberly Construction won a $1.2 million contract to provide the stockpiles for Campbell, Crook, Johnson and Sheridan counties by June 30.

Also awarded by the commission during the meeting were contracts to:

• Casper Electric Inc. for $345,000 to upgrade the traffic signal system and make ADA upgrades to the sidewalk at the intersection of WYO 59 and Union Chapel Road in Gillette by Oct. 31, 2015;

• Modern Electric Co. of Casper for $234,000 to replace high-mast lighting at the Dwyer Junction Rest area on I-25 about 12 miles north of Wheatland by Oct. 31, 2015;

• Casper Electric Inc. for $226,000 to install a traffic signal and make ADA upgrades to the sidewalks at the intersection of Cedar Street and Airport Road in Rawlins, where the opening of a Wal-Mart store is expected to increase traffic. The signal is expected to be in operation by Jan. 15, 2015;

• Casper Electric Inc. for $163,000 to install a temporary traffic signal at the intersection of WYO 50 and 4J Road in Gillette by May 31, 2015. The temporary signal will remain in operation until a permanent signal can be installed after a future widening project is completed;

• Casper Electric Inc. for $133,000 to upgrade electric service at locations in Campbell, Crook, Sheridan and Weston counties by June 30, 2015;

• Casper Electric Inc. for $83,000 to move the statues of the American Indian and mountain man from the former welcome center site on I-25 south of Cheyenne to the High Plains Interchange, where the new welcome center is located, by May 31, 2015. The move was directed in a budget footnote approved by the 2014 Legislature; and

• Casper Electric Inc. for $21,000 for upgrading the electrical system for the traffic signal at the intersection of US 16 (Main Street) and Fort Street in Buffalo. The contract completion date is May 31, 2015.