Transportation commission awards $12 million in highway contracts

January 22, 2014

Contracts totaling nearly $12.8 million for six highway projects around the state, including the 11th project to be funded through the state’s fuel tax increase, were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its January meeting in Cheyenne.

The largest of the contracts went to Cheyenne’s Reiman Corp., which submitted the low bid of $4.9 million to replace the Lewis Street Bridge in Sheridan and reconstruct portions of the streets approaching the bridge. The new bridge will be built to the east of the existing bridge, which will continue to carry traffic during the construction. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Ten miles of US 18 between Mule Creek Junction and the South Dakota border will have deteriorating pavement milled off and replaced with a new layer of pavement under a $3.3 million contract won by McGarvin-Moberly Construction of Worland. The road carries heavy truck traffic, and additional fuel tax revenue has made it possible to move the pavement preservation work ahead in WYDOT’s project schedule. The project is expected to be done by Oct. 31.

Eight miles of Shute Creek Road in Lincoln County will get a new layer of pavement and be widened to include 4-foot safety shoulders under a $2.6 million contract won by Lewis and Lewis of Rock Springs. The road serves an Exxon gas plant and the work is being funded through the Industrial Road Program, which provides state funding to assist counties and communities with economic development projects. The contract completion date is Oct. 31.

TK Mining Service of Grand junction, Colo. submitted the low bid of $817,000 to replace and repair rock-fall mesh on the slopes above highways over Salt Pass, Teton Pass and in Snake River Canyon. Rock falls since the mesh was installed in 2000 have damaged panels and split some of the seams between the panels of mesh that protect the highways below. The work is scheduled to be done by Oct. 31.

About 5 miles of new cable median barrier will be installed to improve safety at various locations on Interstate 90 under a $500,000 contract won by M Construction of Springville, Utah. The barrier will be installed at sites where the median is narrow and crossover crashes have occurred. The contract carries a completion date of Oct. 31.

M Construction also was the low bidder at $399,000 for a contract to build new right-of-way fence and replace worn out fence along highways in Sweetwater and Uinta counties. The new fence will be installed on WYO 430 south of Rock Springs, where increased truck traffic due to energy development has created problems for livestock owners. The work is scheduled to be done by Oct. 31.

Wetlands north of Marbleton and south of Hoback Canyon will be improved under a $255,000 contract awarded to Pab Good Trucking of Greybull. When highway projects affect wetlands, WYDOT is required to create new wetlands to replace the acreage affected, and this project will improve wetlands previously built by WYDOT. The contract completion date is Oct. 31.