Twenty-five bridges and ramps. Five replaced, 21 refurbished. Three years construction following two bid processes. One pandemic and one “Roads to Prosperity” initiative.
Add it all up and the result is a like-new-and-blue Fort Henry Bridge and a freshened stretch of interstate from Wheeling Tunnel through Elm Grove. Bridge decks held together by plywood were rebuilt, steel girders forged in the 1950s were removed and replaced, and the tallest of all the spans – the “Fulton bridges” – were demolished and modernized.
The first bidding process took place in the summer of 2018, and the state’s projected price tag was $201 million. The lowest big received, though, was more than $275 million and W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice rejected it and sent his Division of Transportation engineers back to the drawing board. About a year later, Justice approved the $214.65 million bid submitted by Swank Construction for the same project minus the state-line-to-state-line paving that was included in the original plan.
“I know the Governor had everyone take another look,” said Charlie Reynolds, the district engineer for the DOH”s sixth district. “My predecessor (Tony Clark) was in this position during that project, and I think everyone involved did a hell of a job.”
So, how much did the historic project ultimately cost the taxpayer? According to Reynolds, the final tally was $223,521,227, just about $9 million more than Swank’s estimate.
“I had been asked about that number by several people so I dug in and started asking about it in Charleston, and that is the number,” Reynold said. “It took a while, and it was a lot of work. I know people expected the worst, but it went pretty well from what I remember and from what I’ve been told. It needed done, there’s no doubt about that.
“There’s a lot going on throughout the district and it’s a lot to keep up on,” the former state lawmaker said. “And we have some pretty big projects coming up this summer, too, and hopefully a lot of paving throughout the district, too.”
Interstate 70 made its way through Ohio County during the 1950s and the Fort Henry Bridge was dedicated in 1955, but Wheeling Tunnel was not completed and opened until December 1966.
“The I-70 project was overdue and I’m glad it got done,” Reynolds said. “And for a project of that size to be managed that well is impressive to me.”
