District Briefs

and we are a great team.”

Among her favorite aspects of the job are the different challenges each day brings as well as the small successes. One unique perk she’s had is completing driving tests on multiple generations of drivers, including a few formerly-teen drivers who now have teens of their own.

Whalen-Steege also has her famous Cheyenne Day outfit, a cowgirl getup that brings a festive spirit to Frontier Days at the Cheyenne office. She even helped famous country singer and rodeo champion Chris LeDoux renew his license on Cheyenne Day in 2004.

This isn’t the first time WYDOT examiners have been awarded for their excellence. Previous WYDOT winners of the IDEC Examiner of the Year award include: • David Reid - Regional Supervisor - 2019; • Luz Craig - Gillette Supervisor - 2018; • Janet Hood - Kemmerer/Pinedale/

Big Piney Supervisor - 2016 (Hood was also selected as 2016 Outstanding

IDEC Examiner of the Year); and • Karmen Warrington - Rawlins/Baggs examiner - 2015. n

Goals

Headquarters

Commission awards more than $17 million in contracts in October

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded more than $17 million in contracts for 10 Wyoming Department of Transportation construction projects during its Oct. 21 business meeting.

The commission awarded a bid of $3.4 million to McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., out of Worland, to complete milling, paving, chip sealing and other miscellaneous work on approximately 10 miles of WYO 135 in Fremont County.

In Laramie County, S&S Builders, LLC, out of Gillette, was awarded a bid of $3.4 million for grading, paving and updating curb, gutter, electrical systems and sidewalks along US 85.

Reiman Corp. was the sole bidder on a project to complete bridge rehabilitation, paving, grading and other miscellaneous work in various locations around Sweetwater County with a bid of about $5 million.

The commission also awarded a bid of $1.2 million to Cowley-based Wilson Bros. Construction, Inc. for a project that includes grading, draining, fencing, guardrail and other miscellaneous work on about 3 miles of US 310 and WYO 789 in Big Horn County.

The above projects all have a contracted completion date of Oct. 31, 2022.

Kilgore Companies, LLC, based out of Rock Springs, was awarded a $1.5 million bid to crush surfacing material, mix salt stockpiles and other miscellaneous work in various locations in Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton and Uinta Counties. This project has a completion date of April 2022.

Other projects awarded include: • Highway Improvement Inc. out of

Sioux Falls, South Dakota was awarded about $834,000 for a crack sealing project on approximately 104 miles of highway in various locations within

Lincoln, Sublette, Sweetwater and

Uinta Counties. • Z & Z Seal Coating, Inc. out of Billings, Montana was awarded about $799,000 for a crack sealing project on approximately 43 miles of highway in various locations within Converse,

Goshen, Natrona and Platte Counties. • Z & Z Seal Coating was also awarded about $399,000 for a crack sealing project on approximately 77 miles of highway in various locations within

Big Horn and Park Counties. • Z & Z Seal Coating was also awarded about $324,000 for a crack sealing project on approximately 101 miles of highway in various locations within

Albany, Carbon and Laramie Counties. • Wilson Bros. Construction was awarded $517,000 for a project that includes grading, draining, paving and other miscellaneous work in Fremont

County.

Almost all WYDOT projects are awarded to the lowest bidder.

District 1

Bridge rehab work concluded on I-25 Horse Creek Road interchange

CHEYENNE – The WYO 211/Horse Creek Road interchange on Interstate 25 (exit 16) reopened Oct. 7, as crews with Reiman Corp. and the Wyoming Department of Transportation concluded a bridge rehabilitation project.

Travelers encountered some ramp closures on I-25 while the guardrail was upgraded to current standards. Sections of guardrail on the service roads (Bishop Boulevard and Hynds Avenue) were also replaced.

Additionally, there was some seeding and painting completed underneath the structure on I-25 as well.

Briefs continued on page 4

Briefs continued from page 3 I-80 bridge work near Hillsdale prompts closure of CR 140/Stuckey Road

CHEYENNE – Crews with S&S Builders, a subcontractor for Simon Contractors, and the Wyoming Department of Transportation hung girders for the eastbound structure on the Interstate 80/ Hillsdale interchange on Sept. 29.

The work took place overnight, from about 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sept. 30 at Exit 377.

The crane used to complete this work was stationed on County Road 140/ Stuckey Road. Crews needed to close the county road overnight. A detour was in place to reroute travelers.

Traffic control measures along mileposts 372-382 of I-80 included headto-head lanes, reduced speed limits and flaggers.

The overall bridge replacement and pavement project first started in summer 2020 and is expected to be complete in fall 2021.

District 4

Work on US 14/ Ranchester bridge

SHERIDAN – The Wyoming Department of Transportation Commission recently awarded the Joint Venture of Reiman Corp. and High Country Construction a $12.5 million bid for pavement work and bridge replacement on US 14 near Ranchester.

This project replaced the existing bridge over the BNSF railroad located on the east end of the town of Ranchester with a new structure and rehabilitate the existing roadway from the I-90 Interchange to Coffeen Street.

Scheduled to be completed in two phases, Reiman Corp began Phase I the first week of October with building the new eastbound lane of the bridge structure.

Phase II is scheduled to begin early next spring at which time traffic will shift to the newly constructed eastbound lane. The single lane of traffic will be controlled by a traffic signal at both ends of the project.

Once the bridge is complete, High Country Construction will begin the pavement rehabilitation utilizing the crack and seat techniques with an asphalt overlay.

The crack and seat technique is a method by which contractors break down the existing concrete pavement into one and a half to two foot pieces and firmly seats the pieces into the subgrade prior to overlaying with asphalt.

This project is scheduled to be completed by October 31, 2022.

Photo: WYDOT

US 14/Ranchester bridge over BNSF railroad line.

District 5

Removing rocks from state-owned and stateleased pits is illegal

CODY – Citizens are reminded that it’s illegal to remove gravel, rocks and other items from state-owned or state-leased gravel pits.

State-owned and state-leased gravel pits are clearly labeled at their entrances with signs, according to Wyoming Department of Transportation Maintenance Foreman Jim Berry of Cody.

There is an ongoing investigation into the theft of large rocks from the Red Pole Pit west of Cody. The rocks were slated to be used for rip-rap and were taken from the pit.

“Please respect state property,” Berry said. “Thanks to everyone for their understanding.”

An investigation is ongoing at Red Pole Pit, west of Cody, where large rocks used for riprap were taken from the pit.

Photo: WYDOT

Work on Twin Creek bridges near Lander continued; project extends to next year

LANDER – Replacement of approach slabs and guardrail modifications continued on a pair of bridge structures over Twin Creek southeast of Lander on US 287/WYO 789.

The bridges are located at milepost 67.9, about 12 miles southeast of Lander, and milepost 65.7, about 14 miles southeast of Lander.

“The structure work at the milepost 65.7 bridge is scheduled to be completed this week, with traffic returned to normal two-way traffic by Monday, Oct. 18,” said Wyoming Department of Transportation Project Engineer Brian Martin of Lander. “Structure work at milepost 67.9 will complete the first phase this week, and the second phase of work will begin next week.”

Martin said the second phase of bridge maintenance is anticipated to take 10 working days to complete after traffic is switched to the other side of the bridge.

All work is dependent upon favorable weather.

Next year’s work includes bridge deck repairs of the two structures and asphalt paving on the 10.1-mile project. A one-inch pavement leveling will take place, and a two-inch pavement overlay and chip seal will be completed between mileposts 64.27 and milepost 74.21 in the Twin Creek area.

McGarvin-Moberly Construction Co., of Worland was awarded the $5.1 million project on April 15, 2021.

Contract completion date is June 30, 2022.

Workers from subcontractor Jerry Bornhoft Construction, Inc., of Riverton tied steel on one of two Twin Creek bridges as part of guardrail modifications southeast of Lander on Oct. 11.