CHARLESTON — Repaving the Michael A. Mikey Hart Memorial Bridge is one of 36 construction projects in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways.

The project will repave the eastbound and westbound spans of the Michael A. Mikey Hart Memorial Bridge. The bridge straddles the Barbour and Randolph County lines not far from the town of Talbott.

Hart died on December 20‚ 2005, in an accident when a tractor-trailer struck his vehicle‚ while he was returning from helping his father teach a fire fighter 1 class. He had worked for the professional fire departments of Elkins, Clarksburg and Bridgeport, and had volunteered for more than 15 years with the Belington Fire Department, and also the Barbour County Emergency Squad.

“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,” according to a DOH press release. “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,” the release states. “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.”