When first announced, a multi-million-dollar state infrastructure project in Bridgeport was supposed to be completed by late 2019. And even when weather pushed back the deadline to January 14 of 2020, it still was not close to being finished.

 

Now, the $4.2-plus nearly complete makeover of the U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Rux Bridge along State Route 131 that passes over Interstate 79 at the Saltwell Road exit is expected to be done before summer’s end.

 

According to West Virginia Division of Highways District 4 Construction Engineer Jason Nelson, the new time frame is still more than a month away.

 

“The contractor is now looking at the project probably being done in mid-August,” said Nelson.

 

The big hiccup came when beams needed for the bridge that had to be manufactured were of the wrong size, Nelson said. That, after the weather, led to the initial delay.

 

“That led to a fairly big delay,” said Nelson.

 

As a result, Nelson said the contractor is having to pay $910 per day in “liquidated damages” for not meeting the time frame. Nelson said the cost to the contractor would have been substantially worse if not for the standard down time in winter as well as a 30-day spring shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“The damages are based on contract value. The larger the contract, the more the charge. The contractor here was aided by winter and the COVID-19 situation not counting against them,” said Nelson. “

 

Nelson said most of the damages charged have come with the arrival of May.

 

For those that have driving the heavily utilized bridge, they have noticed that the new part of the structure is open and being utilized. The old portion of the bridge has been completely removed and reset with new beams.

 

“They’re in the process of doing forms for the deck,” said Nelson. “The new bridge will be wider to accommodate two full shoulders and a combined turning lane that will serve both intersections.”

 

While residents may have wondered why things have taken so long, there have been multiple times in recent months where traffic has been delayed or directed to another area. That could happen again as the work winds down.

 

“There may be some restrictions when they’re doing the deck pour. Those pours are generally done at night and it make take a lone of (Interstate) 79 or a lane of (Route) 131 to set up the pump truck to deliver the concrete,” said Nelson. “Even if that happens, it won’t be significant lane closures or problems. The good news is that we are close to the end of this.”

 

The bridge, when finished, will be approximately 58-feet wide. There will be two travel lanes, a center turning lane as mentioned above and two 10-foot wide shoulders.

 

It is part of a design-build project that was awarded to Kelly Paving out of Williamstown, West Virginia with an exact cost of $4,240,893, according to information from February of this year. Kelly Paving is handling the “build” portion of the project, while the design was handled by ATM Engineering out of its Parkersburg office.

 

Editor's Note: Photos by Ben Queen of Ben Queen Photography.