Commission awards $16.4 million for highway jobs

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

By Business Report staff

CHEYENNE — During its June teleconference meeting, the Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded contracts totaling nearly $16.4 million for 11 highway projects around the state. Most of the work is contracted for completion by Oct. 31, 2011.

Simon Contractors of Cheyenne was awarded a $3.5 million contract by the commission for resurfacing on 10 miles of US 85 south of Lusk. One inch of deteriorating pavement will be milled off, and two inches of new asphalt will be laid. Work is not expected to begin until next year.

Simon also won a $2.5 million contract for a pavement overlay to address rutting and cracking on an 11-mile section of WYO 210 (Happy Jack Road) from the Summit Rest Area to about 1 mile west of the Laramie County line.

Lander's Western Wyoming Construction won a $2.7 million contract for an overlay to extend the life of the pavement on 10 miles of WYO 70 from just north of the Colorado border to the road closure gate inside the western boundary of the Medicine Bow National Forest.

Frost Rock Products of Lovell was awarded a $2.3 million contract for a pavement overlay and chip seal to preserve the pavement on six miles of WYO 120 north of Cody.

With the lowest bid of $1.7 million, Intermountain Construction and Materials of Gillette will work on a pavement overlay on five miles of US 16 just north of its junction with I-90.

Lewis and Lewis of Rock Springs will complete a pavement overlay on nearly 11 miles of WYO 28 in the historic Simpson's Hollow area southwest of Farson under a nearly $1.5 million contract.

Casper's McMurry Ready-Mix was awarded a $1.4 million contract for a pavement overlay on a seven-mile section of US 14 just north of its junction with WYO 113 near Moorcroft.

Worland's Hout Fencing of Wyoming won three contracts for a total of $609,000 for construction of right-of-way and snow fences. Snow fence replacement along US 85 between Newcastle and Mule Creek Junction is expected to be done by Dec. 31.

Right-of-way fence replacement on US 20 between Thermopolis and Worland and snow fence installation along WYO 28 in the South Pass area are contracted for a June 30, 2011, completion.

Reiman Corp. of Cheyenne was awarded a $189,000 contract for repairs to the I-80 bridge at the Remount Road Interchange west of Cheyenne, which was damaged by a truck crash and fire last September. The bridge's concrete deck and some guardrail will be replaced. The work is expected to begin in August and take about six weeks to complete.

The commission also voted to concur in the Federal Highway Administration Central Federal Lands Division's award of a contract for reconstruction of the Beartooth Lake outlet bridge on US 212 (Beartooth Highway), northwest of Cody.

The contract awarded to American Civil Constructors of Littleton, Colo., also includes reconstruction of campground intersections, an interpretive site and a parking area for the lake overview. Work is expected to begin this month and be shut down by Oct. 15. The road closes for the winter on Nov. 1. The work is expected to resume next year from June 1 until Oct. 15.

The construction is being funded through a grant of up to $6 million obtained through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to provide competitive discretionary grants for surface transportation projects to help stimulate the nation's economy.

WYDOT worked with the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Forest Service and Montana Department of Transportation to apply for the grant. The U.S. secretary of transportation, FHWA and U.S. Forest Service asked WYDOT to provide financial oversight for the grant.

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