Wed February 27, 2002
Brenda Ruggiero
Crews in West Virginia are currently working on the first section of a $110-million project that will replace WV 9 with a new four-lane highway that will run from Charles Town to the Virginia line.
The current project runs from U.S. 340 and intersects with Cattail Road, a distance of approximately 1.25 mi. (2 km). The contract includes two separate overpass bridges for 340 and all on/off ramps. Matt Kitchen, project engineer for the West Virginia Division of Highways, reported the cost at $7.8 million. Funding is 80 percent federal and 20 percent state.
Work began in mid-November 2001, and completion is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2002.
The general contractor is Central Contracting Inc., St. Albans, WV. Its equipment list includes a Komatsu 400 excavator, a Komatsu 300 excavator, three Komatsu D65 dozers, five Volvo A35 off-road haul trucks, a Svedala hydraulic track drill, and a Hypac steel drum roller. A total of 775,000 cu. yds. (592,535 cu m) of dirt will be removed.
Shelly Foundations, Avonmore, PA, has been contracted for the bridge work, and will use a Texoma Magnum drill rig for the job.
Clearing of the site, including trees and brush, was completed under a separate contract by Ahern and Associates.
This story also appears on Construction Equipment Guide.