CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The pedal is down on the completion of the U.S. Route 35 project in Putnam and Mason counties after Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin spotlighted the project in last week’s State of the State Address. The DOH is now advertising for requests for proposals (RFP).
DOH spokesman Brent Walker said the proposals from contractors are due March 10. They hope to have the contract awarded by mid-June with an expected three-year earth-moving project to get started by the end of the year. Walker said a separate 14.6 mile paving project would be awarded in 2018.
Walker said the agency is excited to get the lone remaining section that isn’t four-lane out to bid.
“It’s on the radar and it’s open for contractors to take a look and see if it’s something they would like to bid on,” Walker said.
This will be a public-private partnership project. The PPP option will allow the DOH to keep even payments through the life of the work. The contractor would have to be able to handle those steady payments even at points when the work may more expensive, like the summer months when more is being done.
The DOH is also giving contractors an option. They can either bid on a 7.9 mile section of the job, a 6.7 mile section of the entire 14.6 miles.
“As their reviewing that they can choose which section or sections they would like to take a look at,” Walker said.