Michael Baker Jr., an engineering unit of Michael Baker Corp., has been awarded a construction support services contract by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for a bypass in Hocking and Athens counties in the US state of Ohio.

Under the three-year contract, Baker will provide construction inspection services for Phase III of the US Route 33 Nelsonville Bypass project.

Phase III is expected to cost about $92m and includes 3.87 miles of new US 33, 1.63 miles of a new Route 78 connection to US 33, half a mile of new connection to Route 691 and construction of the east interchange.

The project will relocate Route 78 through the Happy Hollow Area to form the interchange and excavate seven million cubic yards and over four million cubic yards of embankment.

ODOT will use funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the final two phases of the three-phase project for the eight-mile, four-lane highway around the Wayne national forest.

Construction will be complete by 31 July 2013.