Rt. 33 bypass project contracts awarded... finally

The Ohio Department of Transportation has awarded contracts for the final two phases of the eight-mile U.S. Rt. 33 Nelsonville bypass project, billed as ODOT's "œsingle largest stimulus investment."

Kokosing Construction Company was awarded the $45.2 million contract for phase two, while earlier this month Beaver Excavating Company was awarded the $92.88 million contract for phase three.

ODOT spokesperson David Rose said that phase three is actually the next step in the process of the project completion.

"Construction should begin in September on phase three," Rose said. "Phase two should begin sometime very close after September."

Kokosing beat out three other bidders for phase two of the project, including Beaver Excavating Company. The highest bid for phase two came from Mashuda Corporation at $54 million, 3.49 percent higher than the state estimate of $52.3 million. Kokosing's $45.2 million bid came in at more than 13 percent below the state estimate.

For phase three, Beaver beat out four other bidders including Kokosing with its $92.88 million bid coming in at 20 percent below the state's $116 million estimate. The highest bid came from Heeter Construction at $113 million.

With the bidding process over, completion dates have been given for the project. Phase three is slated for completion on March 3, 2012, while phase two, and with it the entire project, looks to be completed by July 31, 2013, if all goes as planned.

The Nelsonville bypass has been on the state's radar since at least the late 1960s; however, the 1973 Oil and Gas Embargo halted further planning due to a lack of transportation funds. With funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ODOT was able to advance construction on the bypass five years earlier than scheduled.

ODOT said that with up to $150 million of stimulus funds designated for the project, the Nelsonville bypass represents the department's largest single investment of stimulus funds. The largest stimulus-funded project in the state is the Interstate 90 Innerbelt Bridge in downtown Cleveland, estimated at $400 million, including $85 million in stimulus funds.

ODOT estimates that U.S. Rt. 33 carries more than 1,700 trucks daily from Columbus to Charleston, W. Va., making it the eighth busiest truck route in Ohio. Rt. 33 through Nelsonville "“ where it currently narrows from a four-lane highway to the two-lane main drag through town "“ carries roughly 1,500 heavy load trucks per day, ODOT said. The Nelsonville bypass is the final upgrade of Rt. 33 in southeast Ohio after a similar bypass was constructed around the city of Lancaster several years ago.

Rose said that because phase three is mostly dirt work, Beaver will work through the winter. Phase three was awarded in July and is starting earlier, Rose said, because it's the larger project.

"We wanted to get the money obligated to the larger project as soon as possible," Rose said. "And because it was a larger project, we wanted there to be more time in the bidding process for the contractors and ODOT to review the plan and make sure everything was right."

Phase one of the project is almost finished, he said.

"One of the things they want to do is pave that access road, which I believe they just completed, so they are about done," he said. "They're wrapping everything up right now."

Phase one started construction in 2007 with a $23 million contract. The entire project is estimated to create 4,848 jobs according to ODOT.