WSDOT's largest open contract: a $14 million to $15 million bridge to replace the Nooksack River overflow culvert on SR 544

The biggest contract on the Washington State Department of Transportation's current Call for Bids is in Whatcom County, near the Nooksack River. WSDOT will open bids Dec. 2, 2026, for the "Nooksack River Overflow Culvert ER Permanent Repair," with an estimate range of $14 million to $15 million.

The work is on SR 544 between mileposts 7.54 and 7.70. It is federally funded, under federal aid number 2C01006-4.

The scope

According to the notice, the contractor will:

• relocate buried utilities;
• remove the existing 135-foot-long arch culvert, No. 544/9c;
• build a new bridge south of the existing Nooksack River Bridge, No. 544/10;
• partially replace the existing bridge's south approach slab, adjacent sidewalk and traffic barrier to make room for a roadway bypass;
• install new utilities and drainage;
• build scour countermeasures; and
• restore the area with landscaping, with traffic control and other work.

The contract allows 300 working days and has 145 bid items. The notice showed no addenda as of Oct. 26; WSDOT's contract number is XE3780.

Key quantities

The notice lists, among other items:

• 2,692 linear feet of 3.5-foot-diameter shaft and 388 linear feet of 7-foot-diameter shaft;
• 96,226 pounds of reinforcing steel for the bridge, plus 66,775 pounds of epoxy-coated bar in the superstructure;
• 270 cubic yards of class 4000 concrete for the bridge;
• 1,580 cubic yards of rock for erosion and scour protection, 660 tons of custom filter rock and 152 tons of streambed cobbles;
• 1,020 tons of hot mix asphalt;
• 302 linear feet of PVC water main pipe and 309 linear feet of ductile iron sewer pipe;
• 1,333 linear feet of temporary barrier and 1,310 linear feet of coir-wrapped soil lifts.

Lump-sum items include earthwork, two temporary bridges, shoring, the superstructure for both the new bridge and bridge No. 544/10, a sheet pile scour wall, pre-loading shafts, sand drains, environmental compliance, a pedestrian shuttle service, surveying and a progress schedule.

The superstructure work alone includes a 100-square-foot bridge deck test slab, 267 cubic yards of class 4000D concrete, 12 elastomeric bearing pads, 24 elastomeric girder stop pads and 70 linear feet of salvaged bridge rail to be reinstalled. Drainage items include three type 1 catch basins and 322 linear feet of storm sewer pipe, and the job adds 421 square yards of concrete sidewalk and 326 linear feet of precast concrete barrier.

Who will want it

This is a heavy civil job that calls for drilled shafts, bridge concrete, rebar, sheet piling, utilities and in-water erosion protection. A prime will need subcontractors for drilled shafts, reinforcing steel, utilities, landscaping and traffic control. The contract carries a federal small business enterprise goal of 18% and requires 15% apprentice utilization, so certified small firms in those trades should be talking to bidders now.

Bidding

WSDOT issues bidding proposals only to prequalified contractors, and prequalification applications must be in at least 15 days before the bid opening, which for this job is mid-November. Bids are accepted in Olympia or electronically through BidX until 11:00:59 a.m. Pacific time, with a 5% bid deposit.

Also in the region

WSDOT's Northwest Region has two other contracts on the same notice. The Anacortes Ferry Terminal pavement preservation in Skagit County, $1.5 million to $1.75 million, also opens Dec. 2; WSDOT offers a pre-bid site visit through its ferry terminal access request form. The Race Road to Welcher Road shoulder widening on SR 20 in Island County, $3 million to $4 million, opens Nov. 4.

Whatcom County has 2,272 contractors with active L&I registrations in this site's directory, including 1,662 general contractors, 425 specialty contractors and 127 electrical contractors. See the Whatcom County hub and our WSDOT bidding guide.