RANDOLPH COUNTY — Road work is currently underway, and is scheduled to continue, on the Gandy Road in Randolph County.

The West Virginia Department of Transportation has announced that part of Gandy Road is currently closed in order for a culvert to be replaced.

County Route 29, known as the Gandy Road, will be closed from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, approximately 1.15 miles from the intersection of County Route 29/5, known as the Little Italy Road.

In addition, the paving of Gandy Creek Road was among 13 projects included in a bid letting conducted by the West Virginia Division of Highways Tuesday.

Also among the bid lettings was a project to renovate four sets of bridges on Interstate 79 near the Burnsville interchange

The projects include:

∫ Hutchinson Truss Bridge replacement. (Marion County)

∫ WV 97 paving, Saulsville to Maben. (Wyoming County)

∫ Alloy manufacturing plant entrance flasher, US 60. (Fayette County)

∫ Wilcox Memorial Bridge renovation project, WV 54. (Wyoming County)

∫ US 460 rehabilitation and paving, Goodwins Chapel to Virginia state line. (Mercer County)

∫ Coopers Rock W-Beam Bridge deck overlay. (Preston County)

∫ Pax Avenue bridges cleaning and painting. (Fayette County)

∫ Academy Drive Overpass Bridge renovation, Interstate 64. (Kanawha County)

∫ Finney Branch Overpass Bridge, renovation, Interstate 64. (Kanawha County)

∫ Burnsville overpass bridges renovation, Interstate 79. (Braxton County)

∫ Bridgeview Drive intersection traffic light. (Nicholas County)

∫ Larry Conley Memorial Bridge rehabilitation project, US 60. (Kanawha County)

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.