ON THE GO — Crews under the direction of Triton Construction continue work on the expansion of Weirton's wastewater treatment plant. Construction on the $37 million project began in June, with a target of substantial completion by July 2026. -- Craig Howell

WEIRTON — The project designed to double the capacity at Weirton’s wastewater treatment plant is approaching the halfway point.

Members of the Weirton Sanitary Board received a report during their meeting Thursday.

“Things are progressing very well on the project,” noted Jesse Alden, project manager from the Thrasher Group.

The board awarded a $37 million bid in February 2024 to Triton Construction, of St. Albans, W.Va., on the project, with construction beginning in June, with a goal of expanding the treatment capacity of the facility from its current 4 million gallons per day to 8 million gallons per day.

Based on current progress by crews, Alden estimated the project to be 47.9 percent complete, with a targeted time of substantial completion in July 2026.

“As snowy and cold as January was, it was still a good month of production,” Alden said.

The project was set with a $37,337,094.11 contract for Triton, with an additional $1,860,650.56 in contingencies.

Of those contingency funds, there is $1,736,556.45 remaining following the need for two change orders. Those change orders include the payment of $65,707.13 for additional rebar and concrete in the headworks building’s column foundations, and $58,386.98 for a sequencing batch reactor concrete mud mat.

Alden warned there are plans for temporary shutdowns on portions of the treatment plant as part of the construction, but that contingencies are being planned to ensure no problems arise as a result, with state environmental officials also involved.

“That’s being coordinated with the staff as well as the DEP,” he explained.

The Sanitary Board’s legal counsel, Dan Guida, asked if the project could be affected by tariffs being implemented by the Trump administration, but Alden said all pricing has been locked in as part of the contract.

Planning for the project began in January 2019 after local officials were notified of interest in a large manufacturing company considering locating an operation in Weirton.

At the time, officials noted the treatment plant, which originally was built in the 1960s, had little room for additional treatment capacity and would need an expansion to properly serve any new development in the community.