First Phase of Massive I-79 Project Officially Awarded by WVDOH and it Comes with Price Tag of $15.6M

A project to rebuild Interstate 79 from the ground up between the Roanoke exit and Jane Lew Road is among 26 construction projects awarded by the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) on Thursday, May 29, 2025. The awards were from a bid letting conducted Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

 

Mountaineer Contractors Inc. was awarded a contract for $15,603,905 to pulverize the existing pavement on the section of I-79 to create a new road base, part of the process of rebuilding the road from the ground up.

 

The work is necessary because the original concrete slabs the interstates are built on are shifting and cracking, and have lived out their lives. Continuing to pave over the existing slabs will cause further problems in the long run.

 

“It’s kind of the ultimate fix,” said WVDOH State Highway Engineer Jake Bumgarner, P.E.

 

Contracts awarded were:

 
Several factors are considered before awarding a bid, including whether a bid falls above or below the WVDOH Engineer’s Estimate and by what percentage. In cases where a bid is above the Engineer’s Estimate, WVDOH must consider the project need, repercussions of not awarding the project, additional funding sources, and whether sufficient reasons exist for the differences in estimates. Most projects are reviewed, analyzed, and awarded within a week of the bid letting, but the process can take longer.
 
When the Division of Highways has a project that is determined to be best constructed by a contractor, it is processed through the bid letting system. A letting is a scheduled opportunity for contractors to review and bid on several construction projects at one time. Lettings are held either once or twice per month and conducted through the Bid Express System online at www.bidx.com and handled through the Contract Administration Division. Contractors need to subscribe to Bid Express before bids can be accepted on any project. 

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