The 30th episode of our podcast, WV on the DOT, is an exciting one. Ben Hark, Section Head of the Environmental Section, talks everything from crayfish to a new spirit of coordination between State of West Virginia agencies, and Benjy Simpson, of BridgeWalk, joins us to talk about free New River Gorge Bridge catwalk tours for West Virginia Bridge Design and Build Contest Students.

As the District Manager responsible for Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo and Wayne counties, Scott Eplin has witnessed a lot as the region recovers from the recent ice and snow storms. He says it has brought out the best of Appalachian culture; with resident's brining coffee, workers from across the state joining workers who themselves were without electricity, men and women bravely facing work more dangerous than winters tend to bring. Eplin joins Randy and Jennifer on this week's WV on the DOT podcast to share some of what he has witnessed.

Students across West Virginia have until 11:59 p.m. on Friday March 12 to download their West Virginia Bridge Design and Build Contest Software, design a Virtual Bridge and earn a free BridgeWalk tour of the New River Gorge Bridge for their family. Students with the lowest cost designs will advance to the final competition, which will be held virtually this year. On this week's WV on the DOT podcast, Randy and Jennifer talk with Deputy State Highway Engineer, Ryland Musick, P.E., Ph.D about the contest, which is hosted by WVDOH and now in its 20th year. This STEM competition is entirely free to West Virginia students in middle and high school (elementary students, although not eligible for the final competition, can also receive a family BridgeWalk tour by submitting designs.) Students, parents and teachers can find out more about the competition at: https://wvbridgedesignandbuildcontest.com

Deputy State Highway Engineer, Greg Bailey, P.E., has been with the West Virginia Division of Highways for 30 years. What excites him about the Division's new direction? Listen to the 27th episode of our WV on the DOT podcast to find out.

On the 26th episode of WV on the DOT, Randy and Jennifer talk with Monica Ashford and Kelly McClanahan, of WVDOH Personnel Division's Training and Development Unit. From a good understanding of what it means to be a diligent public servant, to remaining adaptable changing times, the training unit designs trainings to make learning memorable and to enrich and grow the capacity of the WVDOH workforce.

The 25th episode of our WV on the DOT podcast features Tony Clark, P.E., WVDOH's District 6 Engineer with an update on the District's new drill, the Wellsburg bridge and major projects in District 6, as well as a personal account of WVDOT's employee centered approach to medical leave.

What makes a happy day for Nate Tawney, General Counsel for WVDOT, and what makes a less than happy day? What does being a state government attorney even consist of? You'll only find out by listening to the 24th episode of our "WV on the DOT" podcast.

When you think about transportation, the first thing that comes to mind may not be Civil Rights Compliance. But, as William Hartwell explains on this week's episode of our "WV on the DOT" podcast, West Virginia Department of Transportation is striving to be a leader among DOT's across the country and making opportunities available for all West Virginians.

This week's guest on our WV on the DOT podcast is Jeff Miller, Executive Director of the Parkways Authority. Jeff joins Randy and Jennifer to talk about upcoming projects for 2021; from painting on the Chuck Yeager Bridge to progress on the Beckley Widening Project.

What better way to start the New Year in the spirit of harmony between State of West Virginia agencies than to invite Randall Reid-Smith, Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History to join Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Jimmy Wriston, P.E., on our "WV on the DOT" podcast. Randall tied Jimmy's tie, the two made a deal, but were we able to convince Randall to sing?