The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WHDOT) announced late last month $40 million awarded construction projects and $1 million in spending on fixing potholes since early February.

Big ticket items awarded by WVDOT include a more than $10 million contract for repairs to the Jennings Randolph Bridge and approaches in Hancock County, secured by Tritan Construction Inc.; a $6.7 million contract to build part of the Beckley Bypass and a $5.6 million contract for repairs and maintenance on the Veterans Memorial Bridge secured by Triton, and Olympus Painting Contractors Inc., respectively.

Other projects awarded with a budget bigger than $1 million include one to replace the North Shegon Bridge in Logan County (nearly $1.4 million), and a paving project in Mercer County (nearly $2 million), awarded to Clearwater Construction Inc. and West Virginia Paving respectively.

Another resurfacing project in Mercer County worth more than $1.8 million was awarded to American Pavements Inc.

Clearwater was also the winner of the project to replace the Beatrice Bridge in Ritchie County (more than $2.3 million), while West Virginia Paving also won a resurfacing project in Greenbrier County worth $2.4 million.

Greenwater Acres Contracting Company Inc. won two bids each worth over $1 million including a project to install signage and delineators and a guardrail project in several counties.

While WVDOT has been busy handing out contracts, they’ve also been putting the pedal to the metal filling potholes in the state. 

Watch West Virginia Highway Administrator Arlie Matney explain the pothole-filling process.

In a YouTube video, WVDOT announced earlier in March that “with asphalt plants beginning to open and winter weather beginning to fade, West Virginia Department of Highways is kicking off an aggressive patching season.”

According to a press release later in the month, “West Virginia Division of Highways road crews have spent 18,185 hours, $988,214 dollars, and used 3,769 tons of asphalt patching potholes.”