Charleston, W.Va. – To prepare for the increase in funding from the new federal infrastructure bill signed last year, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) are hosting two training sessions on how to become a state vendor and bid on upcoming reclamation and roadway projects.
The first session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18th from 10 a.m. to noon at the WVDOT facility in Bridgeport (2460 Murphy’s Run Road). The second session is set for Thursday, May 26th at the WVDEP headquarters in Kanawha City from 10 to 11 a.m. Pre-registration is required for both sessions and attendance is limited to 25 for the Bridgeport session.
The training sessions are geared towards helping businesses who do not currently bid on state work to become familiar with the process.
“West Virginia is set to receive an unprecedented amount of federal funding and we want to make sure that this money is used responsibly and efficiently,” said WVDEP Cabinet Secretary Harold Ward. “We hope this training will attract new bidders and help streamline the bidding process so that we can start new projects as quickly as possible.”
With the signing of the infrastructure bill, the WVDEP is estimated to receive over $145 million per year over the next 15 years in additional funding, to be put towards reclaiming abandoned mine sites, water line installation and upgrades, and more.
West Virginia is also set to receive approximately $3.7 billion for new highway and bridge construction projects.
"This is just another example of your state agencies working together to accomplish great things for West Virginia," said WVDOT Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E. "The Governor has assembled a fantastic team that partners to help each other move the state forward."