FOLLANSBEE - The West Virginia Department of Transportation has received five bids for planned renovations to the Market Street Bridge, but theres no word yet on how soon the project will be awarded.

Posted on the departments Web site, the bids are: Ahern and Associates Inc. of South Charleston, $13.7 million; Vimas Painting Co. of Campbell, Ohio, $13.8 million; Orders Construction Co. of St. Albans, W.Va., $14.2 million; Brayman Construction Corp. of Saxonburg, Pa., $14.4 million; and Mosites Construction Co. of Pittsburgh, $16 million.

The bids are under review by the state Department of Transportation, which is expected to name a contractor later this month.

The cost for the project had been estimated at between $10 million and $13 million, with a large portion of it to be funded with federal economic stimulus funds.

Earlier this year state transportation officials announced plans to repair the 105-year-old bridge's towers, Ohio approach spans and truss, to replace mobile inspection platforms, lower its clearance to prevent overweight vehicles from entering it and repaint the span blue and gold, a color scheme determined by the public through an Internet poll.

The department also announced the project could include the addition of decorative lighting similar to that on the Wheeling Suspension Bridge.

Highway officials said in August the project is expected to result in the span being closed from January to November of next year and from March 2011 to October 2011, the latter time period while the bridge is cleaned and painted.

The project was spurred by petitions from state, county and city officials on both sides of the Ohio River amid rumors the span could be closed permanently in ten years.

Follansbee Mayor Tony Paesano said closing the bridge would affect many residents on both sides of the Ohio River, who travel it to shop, attend church, visit local doctors and hospitals and for other purposes.

He said it also would impact businesses that draw customers from Ohio as well as West Virginia.

The bridge was closed for several weeks in August and September so crews could perform about $150,000 in emergency repairs suggested by engineers with Burgess and Niple of Parkersburg, the firm hired to plan the renovations.

The engineers said the span's conditions at the time didn't meet current federal standards for its 5-ton weight limit.

Dave Seda, district bridge engineer for the state Division of Highways, said crews installed a steel beam to strengthen the span's Ohio approach.

State transportation officials currently are considering potential sites for a proposed new Ohio River bridge between Wellsburg and Brilliant.

The state Department of Transportation identified the proposed span as an eventual replacement for the Market Street when it advertised for an engineer to study potential sites.

Paesano and others who lobbied for repairs to the Market Street Bridge said it could be some time before the new bridge is built.

U.S. Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., have secured $18 million for its planning and initial construction, but the span's cost has been estimated at no less than $100 million.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)