West Virginia Division of Highways — State Route 9

Independence Excavating, Inc. was contracted by the West Virginia Division of Highways to perform the sitework package for the new Route 9 highway in Charles Town, West Virginia, approximately 40 miles outside Washington D.C.

The contract included 2.3 million cubic yards of earthwork, a 415 ft. bridge, and associated drainage and erosion control for approximately a 2-mile stretch of 4 lane road. Our scope of work included all dirt moving and preparing the grade for future packages including the paving contract, as well as a 1,200 ft. steel bridge to span the Shenandoah River and eventually carry Route 9 to the border with the State of Virginia.

Independence mobilized in March 2009 and began erosion control, 120 acres of mass clearing and 300,000 CY of blasting work. The main cut on the project was approximately 140 ft. deep through Snyder Hill located on the west side of the Shenandoah River including varying soil conditions of clay and silt, sandstone and hard limestone. Our earthwork crews began a double-shift schedule in April 2009 completing 90 percent of the earthwork a full year ahead of the contractual deadline in a 21-month project.

Environmental restrictions included working without disturbing the habitat of an American Bald Eagle nest as well as a historic hydro-electric dam on the nearby Shenandoah River and high-voltage line crossings at several locations on the project added to the complexity in planning our work. These concerns, as well as the overall protection of the Shenandoah River Watershed and the historical significance of the area adding to the challenge and the success of this project.

Additionally, with our bridge sub-contractor Ahern and Associates (South Charleston, WV) the project team proceeded with a value engineering proposal to replace the 415 ft. precast concrete bridge with a precast arch-span. The arch culvert subtitution was 293 ft. long in the valley of a 90 ft. fill to convey the existing two-lane County Road 27 beneath the highway.