State DOT Seeks Bids to Replace Berwind Loop Bridge in McDowell County

The West Virginia Department of Transportation's Division of Highways has opened a public bidding advertisement for the full replacement of Bridge No. 11898, the Berwind Loop Bridge – FOC in McDowell County, with an April 14, 2026, deadline set for contractors to submit proposals by 10:00 a.m. Eastern.

The solicitation, filed March 25-26 and published in statewide legal notices under identifier LC-437359, requires bids to be submitted electronically through the Bid Express platform. Sealed paper proposals may also be delivered in person to Building 5, Room 843, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East in Charleston, where standard prequalification is waived. The WVDOH reserves the right to defer or postpone the opening and will post any scheduling changes through Bid Express, making it the authoritative source for project updates.

Eligibility requirements are strict. Only prequalified and West Virginia-licensed contractors may bid on most line items, except where federal-aid rules apply. Proposers must also be registered with the Department of Administration, Division of Purchasing, under West Virginia code Chapter 5A, Article 3, Section 12. Each bid must include a Proposal Guaranty Bond of either $500 or 5% of the total bid amount, whichever is greater. The solicitation explicitly calls for minority business enterprise participation, a signal that state officials intend the project's economic benefits to reach beyond the prime contractor.

For McDowell County, which carries a dense inventory of mid-20th-century coal-era bridge infrastructure, a full structure replacement on Berwind Loop carries consequences well beyond the construction phase. A new bridge can lift weight restrictions that currently force heavy vehicles onto longer routes, cut response times for emergency services navigating the county's tight road network, and restore reliable access for school buses and freight haulers. The project also opens short-term contracting opportunities for qualified local heavy construction firms, provided they can meet the prequalification and bonding requirements before the April 14 cutoff.

Once a contractor is selected, residents should expect the WVDOH to publish lane closure and detour schedules as part of the division's standard project communications ahead of any groundbreaking.