The Wyoming Department of Transportation will replace a bridge and widen a section of WYO 59 near Gillette to improve driving conditions.

The Wyoming Transportation Commission awarded Northern Improvement Co., of Fargo, North Dakota, a $11.7 million contract for the WYO 59 work between Gillette and the Montana state line in Campbell County. The commission awarded that and eight other contracts totaling $27.8 million at its recent meeting.

For the WYO 59 work, crews will widen and pave about eight miles of road. They will also build a new bridge near the old one.

Traffic will remain on the old bridge until the new one is finished. Once the new bridge opens, traffic will be diverted to that structure and crews will demolish the old bridge. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

Other contracts the commission awarded included performing traffic control signal upgrades, installing passing lanes and performing paving work.

Mountain Construction Co., of Lovell, won a $5.8 million contract for the installation of seven passing lanes and two left turning lanes on US 20-26 between Waltman and Shoshoni in Fremont and Natrona counties.

The passing and turn lanes will help with traffic flow. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

H-K Contractors Inc., of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was the low bidder on a $3 million paving contract on three miles of US 26-89-189-191 south of Jackson in Teton County.

Crews will mill and pave the road. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

The commission also awarded Mountain Construction Co. a $1.8 million contract for a widening project on US 287 and WYO 789 south of Lander in Fremont County.

Crews will add a center turning lane on a mile of the road to help with traffic flow. The contract completion date is Oct. 31, 2020.

Wilson Brothers Construction Inc. won a $1.4 million culvert repair contract at several locations on Interstate 90 in Sheridan County.

Crews will install plastic liners inside 21 culvert pipes and put cement between the liners and the original pipes to make the current pipes stronger. Crews will also clean out 52 additional pipes along I-90. The contract completion date is May 31, 2020.

The commission also awarded contracts for:

• $1.4 million to Advanced Electrical Contracting Inc., of Sheridan, for seven new side-mounted dynamic message signs in Big Horn, Fremont, Hot Springs, Park, Teton and Washakie counties by June 30, 2020;
• $1 million to Scott Brothers Inc., of Gillette, for upgrades to traffic signals at three intersections in Gillette in Campbell County by July 31, 2020;
• $938,024 to Reiman Corp., of Cheyenne, for a county bridge replacement on County Road 6-561S south of Savory in Carbon County by Sept. 30, 2020; and
• $515,097 to JTL Group Inc., of Cheyenne, for a pipe repair contract at three locations on Interstate 25 between Wheatland and Kaycee Road in Natrona and Platte counties by Oct. 31, 2019.