A set of projects approved by the West Virginia Division of Highways included one with a seven-figure price tag in West Virginia in Harrison County.

 

Recently, the WVDOH announced that a small bridge (the Walter E. Swiger Memorial Bridge), as well as a culvert, will be replaced in Wilsonburg in an area just off of U.S. Route 50 West. The project comes with a price tag of $2,738,542.74.

 

“The project involves the replacement of the bridge structure that carries Wilsonburg Road (County Route 9) over Limestone Run  near the intersection with County Route 50/40,” said Jason Nelson, PE, WVDOH District Four Construction Engineer. “Also, a large culvert that carries a small tributary of Limestone Run near the intersection will be replaced.”

 

While the bid has been approved, a time frame for it to begin is not known, said Nelson. He did estimate that it will possibly see a start by early summer of this year.

 

As for a completion date, that is spelled out in the plans. Nelson said it is listed as needing to be completed by June 7, 2024.

 

While most projects do create some traffic issues, this one will create several. Along with general traffic, there is traffic from businesses in that area – Skana Aluminum (former Precision Coil site) and RD Wilson Sons & Co. – is located in that general area.

 

“Accommodating the industrial traffic will be a challenge on this one,” said Nelson.

 

Both replacing the bridge and the culvert will create traffic issues, he said. The culvert will be first and Nelson said that Wilsonburg Road will be closed at the culvert site during that work period.

 

The second closure will come after the culvert work. That will happen once the bridge work begins.

 

“There will need to be some coordination with the nearby industrial facilities and related traffic once the contractor gets started,” said Nelson. “There is a detour established in the plans for both phases that utilize various sections of CR 50/40, US (Route) 50, and Limestone Run Road.”

 

Bridgeport-based Bear Contracting is the contractor on the project.