I-95 safety improvements from mile marker 90 to 120 head to SCDOT's Nov. 10 letting

A 30-mile safety project on Interstate 95 is among the largest items on the South Carolina Department of Transportation's November letting.

According to SCDOT's Notice to Contractors, call 260 (PCN P041847, SC file 5777490) covers I-95 safety improvements from mile marker 90 to mile marker 120 in Clarendon and Orangeburg counties. The project is federally funded, lists a 0% DBE goal and is due for completion Nov. 30, 2027.

What's in it

The item list is short, with 11 items, and it shows exactly what the safety work is:

• 21,806 linear feet of median cable barrier, about 4.1 miles, with 20 cable barrier end anchors;
• 237,600 linear feet of Type 1 woven wire fence with two strands of barbed wire, which works out to 45 miles;
• selected clearing, traffic control and 452 square feet of permanent ground-mounted construction signs;
• 100 hours of Department of Public Safety law enforcement officers for work-zone enforcement;
• 8,250 square yards of stabilized construction entrances and five acres of permanent grassing.

Mobilization and bonds and insurance round out the list. Cable barrier and right-of-way fencing are specialty installs. Fence and barrier contractors could bid as subs, or as primes if they hold SCDOT prequalification.

The rest of the letting

The same day, SCDOT opens bids on an 18-mile I-26 corridor improvement in Calhoun and Orangeburg counties and on a 2027 pavement improvement contract for Clarendon County (call 040). There are 26 calls in all.

How to bid and quote

• Primes must hold an SCDOT prequalification certificate and bid electronically through Bid Express, with a 5% electronic bid bond on Form 674.
• Subcontractors don't need SCDOT prequalification.
• The free Construction Extranet has plans, proposals and a discussion board where primes and subs exchange quotes.
• Some projects require a minimum SCDOT Contractor Performance Score, noted in the advertisement.

Our Clarendon County hub tracks lettings and firms in the county.

Why fencing and cable barrier

Median cable barrier is designed to stop vehicles from crossing into opposing traffic. Right-of-way fencing keeps animals and people off the interstate. The notice doesn't describe crash history for this stretch, and we haven't seen a project report for it. The quantities alone show that the safety work is barrier and fencing, not pavement or interchange changes.

Timeline

The Nov. 30, 2027 completion date is about a year after the letting. Both main items are long, linear installs along a 30-mile corridor, which suits specialty crews that can keep up steady daily production.

Bidding requirements

Only SCDOT-prequalified primes may bid. The bid bond must be on SCDOT Form 674, which the department furnishes in each proposal. Bid totals are posted on SCDOT's website, Bid Express and the Construction Extranet right after bids are opened. We will report the apparent low bidder for call 260 once SCDOT posts the results.

SCDOT encourages contractors to use the Construction Extranet discussion board to contact other primes and subs. For fence and barrier subs, that is the obvious place to offer quotes.

Clarendon's other job on the letting

Call 040, the 2027 Clarendon pavement improvement contract, covers about 13.21 miles. It is state funded with a 0% DBE goal and completion due Oct. 31, 2027. Its items include 117,550 square yards of 10-inch cement-modified recycled base, 4,115 tons of portland cement for the recycled base, about 14,135 tons of Type C surface course and 48,660 square yards of 2-inch milling. It also lists 341,480 linear feet of 4-inch white edge lines in fast-dry paint.

SCDOT's notice also says some projects require a minimum quarterly Contractor Performance Score, and those projects are marked in the advertisement. Bidders should check the call 260 proposal before pricing.