NELSONVILLE — Almost $3.3 million in federal government contracts have been awarded by the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region to complete a number of projects on the Wayne National Forest in southeast Ohio.

In the Ironton Ranger District, Bluegrass Contracting Corporation from Lexington, Ky., a veteran-owned small business was awarded a contract on September 26th in the amount of $985,430.

The contractor will replace the existing Lawrence County Road 29 Bridge with a new single span steel bridge. Additional work will include building a facade to replicate an arch structure to look like the historic bridge. The contractor will remove the temporary bridge, that’s now in place. The historic bridge was damaged beyond repair in a storm on July 20, 2010. Work is expected to start soon and be finished late summer 2012.

Also in the Ironton Ranger District, a contract in the amount of $959,972 was awarded on Sept. 30 under the Small Business Administration’s 8(a) Minority-Owned Business Program. HCC and DCI JV, a minority owned company based in Columbus will repair a landslide that occurred on the Vesuvius Beach Road in the Lake Vesuvius Recreation Area. Work will include road repair and construction of a retaining wall.

Work is expected to be completed by late spring of 2012. Once construction is completed, the Forest plans to reopen the Big Bend Swimming Beach area to the public.

HCC and DCI JV were also awarded a contract on Sept. 19 in the amount of $524,574 to complete the Iron Ridge Campground Reconstruction Project.

Work already started and is expected to be finished next October 2012. The campground is not expected to reopen until the 2013 camping season.

In the Ironton and Athens Ranger District, a contract was awarded on Sept. 20 for $745,435 to D.J. Group, Inc. of Beverly. The service disabled veteran owned company is being hired to replace numerous trail bridges along the Forest designated off-road vehicle trail system.

The contractor will construct and install six steel bridges ranging from 30 to 40 feet in length in Lawrence, Scioto and Hocking County. Work is expected to be completed by early fall of 2012.