Volume 44 - Issue 40 - October 2, 2025

State of Kansas

Department of Transportation

Request for Proposals

KA-7182-01 – I-135 Canal Route

Notice to Consulting Firms

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking a qualified consulting firm or team of firms to perform professional services for the project(s) described in Table 1 below. Interested consultants must submit a proposal as laid out herein by 12:00 p.m. (Central Time) October 22, 2025, to be considered for selection.

Consultant Prequalification

Interested consulting firms must be prequalified by KDOT or otherwise demonstrate qualification in the following category(s):

• 161 – Corridor/Project Feasibility Studies
• 163 – Congestion Management/ITS
• 171 – Environmental Documentation
• 201 – Location and Design Concept
• 231 – Traffic Control Analysis and Design
• 321 – Bridge Structural Analysis
• 322 – Bridge Inspection
• 325 – Hydraulic and Hydrologic Studies

If a firm is not currently prequalified by KDOT in any of the required categories, a proposal may still be submitted. Firms not prequalified must also provide documentation that demonstrates the firm is qualified for each specified category listed in this solicitation for the project. Firms must use the KDOT prequalification form to provide this documentation. KDOT 1050 Prequalification Category Definitions (Blue Book) can be found at https://www.ksdot.gov/doing-business/design-consultants/design-consultant-prequalification. Consultants may create a team to meet the prequalification requirements. 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.

Table 1: Background and Scope of Project
Project Number	Background and Scope of Project
KA-7182-01	This project will complete a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study to develop options for replacing infrastructure along an approximate 5.5-mile segment of I-135 in Wichita. The study area is comprised of the two largest bridge structures in Kansas, two interchanges, 53 roadway bridges, and four pedestrian bridges. Services associated with this Request for Proposals are for the Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) only, with an option to supplement the contract through Preliminary Design, Final Design, and Construction Phase Services.

Table 2: Project Summary
Project Number	Route and Scope	Length (mi)	Project Termini
KA-7182-01	135-87 Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study	5.5	I-135 from east Harry Street, north to the K-96 Interchange.
Project Number	Structure BR#, Structure Scope, Structure Size and Type
KA-7182-01	This corridor has 53 roadway bridges and 4 pedestrian bridges in its existing condition. The PEL Study will evaluate necessary bridges to be replaced, bridges to remain, and bridges to be removed. Size, bridge types, and phasing also to be evaluated on a preliminary level.

Anticipated Consultant Scope

KDOT anticipates the following to be included in the selected consultant’s scope: PEL Study Services including preliminary concepts alternatives, travel demand forecasting, traffic analysis and traffic engineering, preparation for NEPA, public outreach and stakeholder engagement.

Current expectations for consultant scope are more defined below. The scope included may not be all-inclusive. Some items may be added later due to in-house resources becoming unavailable. A scoping meeting will take place after consultant selection is made to further define tasks for inclusion.

• Project Discovery:
  • Travel demand forecasting, traffic analysis, and traffic engineering.
  • Development of several alternative concepts.
  • Assessment of cultural and environmental constraints.
  • Evaluation of existing conditions, operations, and interchange spacing.
  • Evaluation and screening of concept alternatives, including interchanges:
    • Adjacent Interchanges on US-54/400 to also be included.
  • Cost estimates.
• Road Design:
  • PEL Study to prepare for NEPA.
  • Visit the project site location.
  • Subsequent phases may include:
    • Develop plans to Materials and Research.
    • Develop Preliminary Plans to Field Check.
    • Develop Office Check Plans.
    • Design, and roadside safety analysis.
    • Develop Final Plans for Construction.
    • Perform roadway geometric design, drainage design, and roadside safety.
• Bridge Design:
  • Evaluate existing bridge conditions and structural improvement needs.
  • Evaluate phasing structures.
  • Subsequent phases may include:
    • The consultant will propose and evaluate different framing layouts for review and acceptance by the KDOT Bridge Office.
    • Develop Preliminary Plans to Field Check.
    • Perform hydraulic analysis and determine type, size and location of proposed replacement structures.
    • Final Design.
• Traffic Engineering:
  • Evaluate methods to handle traffic during construction.
  • Subsequent phases may include:
    • Develop permanent signing and pavement marking plans.
    • Develop Traffic Control Plans.
    • Evaluation of existing ITS operations and potential future design.
• Grant Application Support:
  • Subsequent Phases may include:
    • Data collection and review.
    • Identify strategies for maximum points.
    • Prepare cost estimates as needed.
    • Coordinate with KDOT for required information.
    • Draft support letters for public, elected and appointed officials, stakeholders and other relevant entities as identified by KDOT and advance the application.
    • Establish application schedule.
    • Coordinate and lead meetings.
    • Consultant shall prepare the grant application based on NOFO requirements.
    • Provide tables and graphics as necessary.
    • Provide final draft grant documents for review that will be coordinated with the Grant Lead, project team and others that are relevant in the process.
• Transportation Planning:
  • Determine present and future traffic projections for adjacent interchanges using the current WAMPO travel demand model.
  • Estimate truck traffic using the WAMPO travel demand model and KDOT’s traffic flow maps.
  • Work with the City/County on land-use developments that may not be reflected in the model.
  • Develop both daily and AM/PM peak hour traffic for base/future year traffic for the study area.
  • Level-of-Service analysis using either Synchro/SimTraffic, HCS, or VISSIM.
  • Data collection of present traffic (daily counts and AM/PM turning movements) as needed or deemed necessary.
  • Coordinate information with the KDOT Transportation Planning Forecasting Group as needed.
• Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement:
  • A Level 1 Project classification is for the most highly visible and highly budgeted projects KDOT delivers and needs full public involvement scoping from a consultant. Projects may be considered Level 1 because they are a Design/Build project, have significant NEPA requirements, disproportionally impact marginalized communities, partner with many other organizations, or include a tolling component. These projects need many public involvement activities and/or products (open houses, advisory group meetings, and/or community presentations) planned together with project milestones.

The standards for a Level 1 Project include:

• Consultant leads the community engagement strategy and execution with oversight and approval from the KDOT PI Specialist (in collaboration with District Communications).
• Community Engagement Plan (CE Plan).
• A project identity is created using the IKE-at-Work logo and templates.
• A project webpage is hosted on the IKE website at https://ike.ksdot.gov/projects/project-pages.
• KDOT District existing social media accounts are used to distribute project information.

Activities Performed by KDOT include:

• Geotechnical Services:
  • Soil investigations
  • Bridge foundation geology
  • Pavement field investigation and design
  • Surfacing recommendations
• Environmental Services:
  • Lead paint testing
  • Permit application

KDOT, at the Secretary’s discretion, reserves the right to retain for subsequent phases of design and consulting services the consultant selected to provide services associated with this Request for Proposals. Scope in subsequent phases will likely include, but is not limited to, plan development through preliminary and final design as well as construction phase services.

Anticipated Schedule and Key Dates

1. Proposals are due by or before 12:00 p.m. (Central Time) October 22, 2025.
2. Ranking of proposals is expected to occur on or around November 7, 2025. It is anticipated that interviews will be held as a part of the selection process. Negotiations with the most highly ranked firm are expected to begin on or around December 5, 2025. An executed agreement is anticipated around December 31, 2025.
3. The program fiscal year for this project is FY2027 (July 2026–June 2027).
4. PEL Study is anticipated to last 12-18 months.

Instructions for Proposal

1. No cost or pricing information shall be submitted with the proposal. Proposals including cost or pricing information will be considered non-responsive and withdrawn from further consideration.
2. The consultant’s proposal must not exceed 6 pages total (including any cover letter, index, etc.). All pages shall be standard letter size (8.5” x 11”). Any page larger than standard letter size will be counted as two or more pages depending on size.
3. A single PDF (10 MB maximum size) of the proposal must be uploaded to the appropriate bid form on Bid Express by the proposal due date and time.
4. The proposal PDF file name must read:
   1. “KA-7182-01_I-135 Canal Route_FIRM NAME”
5. The proposal must be accompanied by Special Attachments No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”), No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”), and No. 12 (“Certification of Company Not Currently Engaged in the Procurement or Obtainment of Certain Equipment, Services, or Systems”). If you need a Tax Clearance Certificate, you can request one at https://www.ksrevenue.gov/taxclearance.html. Allow 2-3 business days for processing. Both attachments are required for every firm involved in a multi-consultant team. Upload these files as instructed in Bid Express.
6. The outline in Table 3 below describes the expected proposal organization and content sections.
7. Depending on the number and quality of responses received, KDOT anticipates shortlisting (based on proposals) and holding interviews prior to final selection (which may be based on both proposal and interview content). If KDOT deems interviews to be necessary, interview details and requirements and evaluation criteria for the interview will be distributed to shortlisted consultant teams in advance.
8. Table 4 lists the evaluation criteria and associated weights which will be used to shortlist respondents and may be considered in final selection.

Table 3: Proposal Content
Section	Description of Intent	Page Limit
Cover Letter		1 Page
Project Approach	Demonstrate a unique approach to accomplish the design efficiently and to a high standard. Include cost-effective and optimized solutions to address the anticipated improvements in the design. Include unique qualifications or experience related to the project approach.
Approach to Schedule	Describe the approach to accomplish the scope of services within the schedule requirements. Include anticipated key milestone dates and availability of staff.
Approach to Quality Control	Describe methods or procedures your firm will use to provide all drawings, reports and other services with professional quality and technical accuracy.
Qualifications and Experience	For key personnel to be assigned to the project provide names, office location, qualifications, education, training, and expertise. Identify their area(s) of responsibility and percent of their time dedicated to the project. List work for which you do not have in-house capability and name the firm you propose to subcontract with.
Past Performance	Describe team’s past performance with respect to ability to meet project schedules; quality of work; and ability to control costs on similar transportation projects, especially those performed for KDOT. Include three references and contact information.
Familiarity with KDOT and Project Area	Describe team’s familiarity with KDOT’s design process and standards. Describe familiarity with the project area and any identified special site conditions.

Table 4: Evaluation Factors
Evaluation Factor	Weight
Qualifications and experience of project manager and other key project team members proposed for services	20%
Project approach	20%
Approach and commitment to meet advertised schedule	10%
Past performance history for similar projects/services for KDOT	10%
Understanding of the project area	20%
Innovation/Creativity in solutions	10%
Knowledge of the NEPA process	10%

Contract Terms and Conditions

A standard KDOT agreement for engineering and technical services will be used for professional services projects. The following special attachments will need to be provided by the selected consultant and all subconsultants with the signed work order following negotiations and will become attachments to the contract:

• Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate”)
• Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”)
• Special Attachment No. 12 (“Certification of Company Not Currently Engaged in the Procurement or Obtainment of Certain Equipment, Services, or Systems”)

Special Contract Conditions

This project will be managed by KDOT PM.

Questions

All questions regarding this Request for Proposals shall be submitted via Q&A section of bid form in Bid Express.

Questions can be submitted until October 10, 2025, answers will be provided to all prequalified consultants on October 15, 2025.

Calvin Reed
Secretary
Department of Transportation

Doc. No. 053531