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Volume 40 - Issue 44 - November 4, 2021

State of Kansas

Department of Transportation

Notice to Consulting Firms

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking a qualified consulting engineering firm for project KA-5766-01, the replacement of the I-470 bridge (BR#46) which carries traffic to westbound I-70 in Shawnee County, Kansas. Interested consulting firms must be prequalified by KDOT or otherwise demonstrate qualification in the following categories: (a) Category 211 Highway Design – Major Facility, (b) Category 221 Non-Standard Span Bridge Design, and (c) Category 231 Traffic Control Analysis and Design. Consultants may create a team to meet the prequalification requirements. A PDF response must be emailed to KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov, Attention: Marcia Turner, P.E., Assistant Contracts Engineer. Responses are to be limited to four pages. The subject line of the reply email and the file name must read “I470-89 KA-5766-01_FIRM NAME.” Proposals must be received by 12:00 p.m. (CST) November 19, 2021, for the consulting firm to be considered.

If a firm is not currently prequalified by KDOT a response may still be submitted. Firms not prequalified must also provide documentation that demonstrates the firm is qualified for each specified category listed in this Request for Proposal (RFP). Firms may use the KDOT Prequalification Form 1050 to provide this documentation. The 1050 Form and Prequalification Category Definitions (the Blue Book) can be found at http://www.ksdot.org/descons.asp. All firms doing business with KDOT must be registered and in good standing under the laws of the State of Kansas at the time of contracting and must comply with applicable state and federal laws, rules and regulations.

Background and Scope of Projects

This project is the replacement of a curved, superelevated, single lane ramp bridge. The length of the existing bridge is 398.5 feet; the roadway width is 30 feet. This project is scheduled for letting in FY 2024 (July 2023-June 2024). KDOT intends to select the most highly qualified firm to perform professional services associated with the design of this bridge project.

Services associated with this RFP begin at preliminary design and continue through final design. No discovery phase services will be required.

Scope of Services to be Performed

Activities Performed by Consultant

  • Project Management
    • Develop and communicate Project Management Plan and Quality Assurance Plan
    • Perform quality control checks according to Quality Assurance Plan
    • Provide electronic plan files compliant with KDOT Graphic Standards Manual, including CAD conformance checks and ControlCAD indexed DGN files with ProjectWise attributes
    • Provide construction cost estimates at major project milestones
  • Road Design (Prequalification Category 211 Highway Design – Major Facility)
    • Develop preliminary plans to Field Check
    • Develop final plans for construction
    • Perform roadway geometric design, drainage design, and roadside safety analysis. Note: the existing horizontal and vertical alignments will be utilized for the proposed condition. Retaining the existing typical section of the roadway will be a priority so that no new right of way (including temporary easements) will need to be acquired
    • Visit the project site location
  • Bridge Design (Prequalification Category 221 Non-Standard Span Bridge Design)
    • The consultant will propose and evaluate different (curved and possibly skewed) framing layouts for review and acceptance by the KDOT Bridge Office. Focus shall be to minimize disruption to the site and facilitate efficient construction to minimize closure of Westbound I-470
    • The proposed structure will need to match the existing structure’s geometry (vertical, horizontal, and cross-slope). The proposed structure will need to preserve the existing vertical clearance window for I-70 below
    • Develop preliminary plans to Field Check for the replacement of Bridge 089-046, carrying the westbound I-470 ramp over I-70 in Shawnee County, Kansas
    • Develop final plans for construction
  • Traffic Engineering (Prequalification Category 231 Traffic Control Analysis and Design)
    • Development of Traffic Management Plan, including coordination with the local government and KDOT Metro Office
    • Develop permanent signing and pavement marking plans
    • Traffic Control Plans: This project will require closure of I-470 during construction, utilizing a state route detour

Activities Performed by KDOT

  • Engineering survey
  • Development of existing right of way
  • Environmental services, including lead paint testing and permit application
    • Note: Technical data to support these activities will be required from the consultant immediately after field check
  • Permits will include NPDES – Storm Water Runoff Permit in which KDOT will need from consultant
    • Total project site area in acres
    • Total disturbed area in acres (from seeding plans)
    • Impervious area in square feet (existing and proposed)
    • Above information needs to be provided by consultant (90) days prior to letting
  • Utility coordination, if required
  • Geotechnical services including soil investigations, bridge foundation geology, pavement field investigation and design, and surfacing recommendations
  • Plans to Materials and Research have been submitted to begin geotechnical studies

Accelerated Schedule

This project must be let in Fiscal Year 2024 so construction can be finished prior to the Polk-Quincy Viaduct letting. The design activities must be scheduled to deliver completed plans by March 23, 2023. That puts target date for Field Check on June 7, 2022.

Instructions for Proposal

No costs shall be contained in the proposal. A PDF response must be emailed to KDOT.DesignContracts@ks.gov, Attention: Marcia Turner, P.E., Assistant Contracts Engineer. The subject line of the reply email and the file name must read “I470-89 KA-5766-01_FIRM NAME.” Proposals must be received by 12:00 p.m. (CST) November 19, 2021, for the consulting firm to be considered. Questions can be submitted until November 11, 2021; answers will be provided to all prequalified consultants on November 16, 2021.

The proposal must not exceed four (4) pages total to address the pertinent topics. Proposals submitted shall also include completed and signed Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”) and a completed and signed Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”). Subconsultants will need to complete these attachments as well. These Special Attachments do not count against the page limit.

Proposals shall describe any processes or procedures, including best practices, that will be used to perform tasks and to produce deliverables described above under “Scope of Services to be Performed.” Also, include items such as:

  • Project manager/engineer in charge
  • History of projects with similar tasks
  • Availability of staff to meet schedule without overtime
  • Familiarity with KDOT standards and content
  • Any subconsultant(s) and their role(s) (if any) who will be performing services on the project

Selection Process

Per standard KDOT consultant selection process, consultants will be selected based on qualifications from the technical proposal submitted – there will be no interview phase. The selected consultant will proceed quickly through scoping, fee negotiation, and to NTP. Fee negotiation will include estimates for Preliminary Engineering and Final Design; there will not be a contract pause for final design negotiation after Field Check.

Technical proposals will be evaluated based on the factors listed below to select the most qualified firms. All evaluation factors are weighted equally.

Evaluation Factors

Qualifications and experience
Past performance
Delivery process: approach to schedule
Familiarity with KDOT design procedures
Understanding of technical complexities for project site

The selected firm will be asked to enter into negotiations with KDOT for an agreement. In the event KDOT cannot reach agreement with a selected firm, it will terminate negotiations and commence negotiations with the next highest ranked firm, and so on, until either agreement is reached for a satisfactory scope of services for a fair and reasonable price, or KDOT decides to pursue other alternatives.

The firm’s accounting systems must have the following capabilities before the firm may be awarded a contract.

  • Valid, reliable, and current costs must be available within the system to support actual costs and pricing data
  • Capability to provide a means of measuring the reasonableness of incurred costs
  • Capability to identify and accumulate allowable costs by contract or project records which will reconcile with the general ledger
  • Ability to provide supporting documentation of actual expenditures for each billing, based on costs

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov.

Ben Asnicar, P.E.
Interim Contracts Engineer

Doc. No. 049550

Secretary of State Seal