Transportation Commission awards $30 million in highway contracts in October

October 24, 2016

The Wyoming Department of Transportation will soon start work on a $23.5 million viaduct and road project in Laramie which will replace the deficient Clark Street viaduct and improve traffic flow.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded the Harney Street viaduct contract to S & S Builders of Gillette during its meeting on Oct. 20. The contract was one of six the commission awarded totaling $30 million.

The new viaduct will replace the 53-year-old Clark Street viaduct, which has physical deterioration and doesn’t have the appropriate width to accommodate vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Construction is expected to start in the spring and be completed by July 31, 2019.

“The bridge at Clark Street is deteriorating and it needs to be replaced,” said Steve Cook, resident engineer out of Laramie. “WYDOT did a lot of research as to where the new bridge will be built.”

The viaduct work is part of 1.33 miles of construction that also includes connecting traffic with Snowy Range Road, WYO 230, and widening the Laramie River Bridge to four lanes. WYDOT will construct a new section of Snowy Range Road across the railroad tracks. The road will curve around the west side of the community and connect to the existing Snowy Range Road.

WYDOT spent several years of research on the viaduct, which including taking public comment to determine the best location for the new viaduct, Cook said.

The new viaduct will provide continuous east-west transportation system connection that will better serve corridor traffic movements through Laramie. It will also provide transportation service, increased capacity and improved functionality needed for future growth.

The work will improve safety on the existing transportation, and will provide transportation service that is consistent with local transportation and land use plans.

“This project will help with traffic flow and will help meet the future needs of the community,” Cook said.

The rest of the contracts the commission awarded were for crack sealing and milling work.

McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co. of Worland was the low bidder on a $2.6 million mill and overlay project on 7.7 miles of US 189/191 about 20 miles north of Daniel Junction.

Crews will mill off about an inch of asphalt to remove the deteriorated surface, and then replace it with 2 inches of asphalt. The project is being paid for with 10-cent fuel-tax revenue, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2017.

Highway Improvement Inc., of Sioux Falls, S.D., won a $2.2 million crack sealing contract for work at locations in Big Horn, Fremont, Park and Washakie counties. The work will impact about a dozen roads in those counties and is part of WYDOT’s pavement preservation strategy to keep the roads in good working condition.

The crack sealing work involves sealing the cracks to prevent water from getting into the road and deteriorating it. The contract completion date is May 15, 2017.

Highway Improvement Inc. also was the low bidder on a $1 million crack sealing contract for work on I-80 and several road sections in Sublette, Sweetwater and Teton counties. The contract completion date is April 30, 2017.

The commission also awarded two other crack sealing contracts.

Hardrives Construction Inc., of Billings, Mont., won a $368,060 for crack sealing on several road sections in Campbell, Crook, Sheridan and Weston counties. The contract completion date is May 15, 2017.

Z & Z Seal Coating Inc., of Billings, Mont., was the low bidder on a $303,065 crack sealing project. The contract completion date is April 30, 2017.