Transportation Commission awards $24 million in highway contracts

Contracts totaling $24.4 million for 12 highway projects around the state, including two made possible by increased fuel tax revenue, were awarded by the Wyoming Transportation Commission during its April meeting.

Concrete Foundations of Douglas won the largest of the contracts with the low bid of $6.2 million for improvements to US 20-26-87 (E. Richards Street) between the East Douglas Interchange and Mesa Drive in Douglas. About one-half mile of the highway on the eastern end of the project will be rebuilt with concrete pavement because it carries growing heavy truck traffic. The remainder of the section will have deteriorating pavement milled off and replaced with a new layer of asphalt pavement. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Gillette’s S&S Builders won a $4.8 million contract to widen two I-25 bridges over the Laramie River about three miles north of Wheatland. Currently the bridges are about 10 feet narrower than the standard for interstate bridges, which creates problems for wide loads. The work is scheduled to be completed by Oct. 15, 2015.

Thirteen bridges on highways in Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park and Washakie counties will be rehabilitated under contract won by Gerber Construction of Lehi, Utah, with the low bid of $2.9 million. The project will be funded with revenue from the 10-cent fuel tax increase and the completion date is Sept. 30, 2015.

HK Contractors of Idaho Falls submitted the low bid of $2.8 million for patching to extend the life of pavement on highways in Lincoln, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta counties by Oct. 31.

Knife River of Casper was awarded a $2.6 million contract for patching on highway sections in Carbon and Laramie counties by Oct. 31.

Lander’s Patrick Construction won a $1.7 million contract to replace two aging timber bridges on WYO 132 south of Ethete. The bridges at Mill Creek and Coolidge Canal are more than 60 years old and will be replaced with steel and concrete structures. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2015.

Intermountain Slurry Seal of Watsonville, Calif. was the low bidder at $1.3 million and $787,000 for contracts to complete resurfacing work on US 85 in Lusk and I-90 in Gillette by Oct. 31.

Also awarded during the meeting were contracts for:

• $459,000, to Redi Services of Lyman for replacing culverts on WYO 72 between Hanna and Elk Mountain by Sept. 30;

• $355,000 to McGarvin-Moberly Construction of Worland for concrete pavement repair and crack sealing on US 16 in Worland by Oct. 31. The project will be funded with revenue from the 10-cent fuel tax increase;

• $261,000 to Casper Electric to upgrade the road closure gate system and lighting on US 16 west of Newcastle by May 31, 2015; and

• $87,000 to Gerber Construction of Lehi, Utah, for rehabilitation work on the US 30 bridge over the Smith’s Fork River north of Cokeville by June 30, 2015.