NOTICES
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Retention of Engineering Firms
[30 Pa.B. 3871]
Lancaster County
Project Reference No. 08430AG2580The Department will retain an engineering firm for a multi-phase, specific project agreement to provide environmental studies, preliminary engineering and final design to complete the PA 23 Environmental Impact Statement, record of decision, and mitigation plan in Lancaster County. The work will include Steps 5 through 10 in PennDOT's 10 Step Process for the completion of the Environmental Impact Statement. Steps 1 through 4 of the Process already have been completed by the Lancaster County Planning Commission. The project involves the completion of the environmental documentation and engineering studies to relocate or upgrade a 14 mile section of S.R. 0023, Section EIS, Lancaster County between U.S. 30 to U.S. 322. The estimated total project construction cost is $150-$250 million. It is anticipated that the required level of environmental clearance is an Environmental Impact Statement.
The following factors, listed in order of importance, will be considered by the Department during the evaluation of the firms submitting letters of interest:
a) Specialized experience and technical competence with similar projects, a proven ability to complete environmental impact statements on large scale controversial projects, and the ability of the project team to address the project specific issues.
b) Strong qualifications in dealing with the public including presentation skills, graphics capabilities and preparation of innovative tools to present technical information to the public.
c) Technical expertise in the areas of farmland assessments (Agricultural Land Condemnation Approval Board), cultural resource documentation, land use planning (including secondary and cumulative impacts), and traffic engineering. Include specific references to the required expertise for historic structures and archeology, agency coordination, community involvement and dealing with the plain sect.
d) Specialized experience and technical competence in final design of highways including interchanges, structure design including multi-span bridges, retaining walls and noise walls, geotechnical design, hydraulic analysis and design, traffic control design and environmental permits.
e) The project team including subconsultants and the method of managing the disciplines, firms, etc.
f) Available staffing for this assignment and ability to meet the project schedule.
g) A site visit by a member of the project team is expected. Provide within the letter of interest possible innovative techniques that could be applied to this project.
The firm selected may be required to, at a minimum, to prepare the intent to enter notices; field surveys; development of topographic mapping; traffic analysis on the existing corridor; expansion and completion of a traffic model; environmental field inventory; preparation of technical reports, historic surveys, archeological studies air and noise studies, Section 4(f) evaluation and completion of the environmental impact statement; engineering studies to develop preliminary alignments and line and grade, right-of-way estimates, traffic analysis, including preliminary traffic signal evaluations; development of geotechnical studies, erosion control plans, stormwater management, utility and property investigations and preliminary bridge plans. Significant efforts are expected in coordinating with Lancaster County, the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and environmental resource agencies. A significant public involvement program is also expected as part of this project.
Final design activities would include at a minimum: safety review; Step 9, value engineering; design field view; pavement and drainage design, submission of utility verification and relocation; final right-of-way plans, final signal plans; final traffic control plans with special provisions; development of soil and foundation engineering report; final bridge plans, final erosion control plan and narrative; and construction plans, specifications and estimates.
The preliminary and final design of this project will be done in English units.
Welcom's Open Plan Software will be used for project management and tracking.
An oral presentation will be required for the short listed firms.
A project specific Quality Development Plan including a cost control and cost analyses process will be required.
The Department is seeking a multi-disciplined team with environmental, engineering, public involvement and document preparation experience.
The goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation in this Agreement shall be fifteen percent (15%) of the total contract price. Additional information concerning DBE participation in this Agreement is contained in the General Requirements and Information Section after the advertised project.
This project reference assignment is considered complex. The letter of interest shall be limited to a maximum of five (5) pages, 8 1/2" x 11", one sided, (any pages beyond 5 will not be reviewed by the Department), plus an organizational chart (up to 11" x 17" size), and additional resumes, if applicable. (See the General Requirements and Information Section).
The Letter of Interest submission shall be sent to:
Mr. Barry G. Hoffman, P.E., District Engineer
Engineering District 8-0
2140 Herr Street
Harrisburg, PA 17103-1699
Attention: Mr. Mark A. Malhenzie, Senior Project
ManagerThe Letter of Interest submission for this project reference number must be received at the address listed above by 4:30 P.M. prevailing time on the twentieth (20th) day following the date of this Notice.
Any technical questions concerning the requirements for this project should be directed to Mr. Mark A. Malhenzie, phone number 717-783-5080, fax number 717-705-5493.
General Requirements and Information Firms interested in providing the above work and services are invited to submit a Letter of Interest with the required information for each Project Reference Number for which the applicant wishes to be considered.
The Letter of Interest and required information must be submitted to the person designated in the individual advertisement.
The Letter of Interest and required information must be received by the Deadline indicated in the individual advertisement.
For District projects, all consultants, both prime consultants and subconsultants, who desire to be included in a Letter of Interest must have an Annual Qualification Package on file with the appropriate District Office, by the deadline stipulated in the individual advertisements.
For Statewide projects, all consultants, both prime consultants and subconsultants, who desire to be included in a Letter of Interest must have an Annual Qualification Package on file with Central Office, Bureau of Design by the deadline stipulated in the individual advertisements.
Information concerning the Annual Qualification Package can be found in Strike-off Letter No. 433-99-04 or under the Notice to all Consultants published in the February 27, 1999 issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
By submitting a letter of interest for the projects that request engineering services, the consulting firm is certifying that the firm is qualified to perform engineering services in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. A firm not conforming to this requirement may submit a letter of interest as a part of a joint venture with an individual, firm or corporation which is permitted under State law to engage in the practice of engineering.
The letter of interest must include full disclosure of any potential conflict of interest by the prime or any subconsultant based on Engineering Involvement Restrictions Guidelines as established in Strike-off Letter No. 433-00-02 published March 27, 2000. If there are no potential conflicts you shall include the following statement: ''I have reviewed Strike-off Letter No. 433-00-02 and determine that there are no potential conflicts of interest for anyone on this project team.''
If a Joint Venture responds to a project advertisement, the Department of Transportation will not accept separate Letters of Interest from the Joint Venture constituents. A firm will not be permitted to submit a Letter of Interest on more than one (1) Joint Venture for the same Project Reference Number. Also a firm that responds to a project as a prime may not be included as a designated subcontractor to another firm that responds as a prime to the project. Multiple responses under any of the foregoing situations will cause the rejection of all responses of the firm or firms involved. The above does not preclude a firm from being set forth as a designated subcontractor to more than one (1) prime responding to the project advertisement.
If a goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation is established for an advertised project, firms expressing interest in the project must agree to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms as defined in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st century (TEA-21) and currently certified by the Department of Transportation shall have the opportunity to participate in any subcontracting or furnishing supplies or services approved under Form 442, Section 1.10(a). The TEA-21 requires that firms owned and controlled by women (WBEs) be included, as a presumptive group, within the definition of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). The goal for DBE participation shall be as stated in the individual project advertisement. Responding firms shall make good faith efforts to meet the DBE goal using DBEs (as they are defined prior to the act, WBEs or combinations thereof).
Proposed DBE firms must be certified at the time of submission of the Letter of Interest. If the selected firm fails to meet the established DBE participation goal, it shall be required to demonstrate its good faith efforts to attain the goal.
Responses are encouraged by small firms, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, and other firms who have not previously performed work for the Department of Transportation.
Letters of Interest for will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from further consideration for any of the following reasons:
1. Letters of Interest not received on time.
2. Project of interest is not identified.
3. An Annual Qualification Package for the prime consultant and all subconsultants is not on file with the organization receiving the Letter of Interest.
4. Conflict of Interest evaluation statement is not included.
5. A Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation goal is established for the Project Reference Number but no DBE/WBE is identified and no good faith effort is included.
6. Firm submitted a Letter of Interest on more than one (1) Joint Venture or a firm submitted a Letter of Interest as a prime and was also included as a subconsultant, to another firm. Multiple responses under any of the foregoing situations will cause the rejection of all responses of the firm, or firms, involved.
In addition to the above reasons, a Letter of Interest for Construction Inspection Services will be considered non-responsive for any of the following reasons:
1. Prime consultant or any subconsultant does not have a Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Audit Field Overhead Rate on file with the Department.
2. Using an individual's resume without including a letter granting the individual's approval for TCIS and higher positions.
3. Exceeding the maximum number of resumes in a payroll classification.
The assignment of the agreement/contract for the above advertisement(s) will be made to one of the firms who submitted an acceptable Letter of Interest in response to the project advertisement. The assignment will be made based on the Department's evaluation of the firm's qualification and capabilities. The Department reserves the right to reject all letters submitted, to cancel the solicitations requested under this Notice, and/or to readvertise solicitation for the work and services.
BRADLEY L. MALLORY,
Secretary
[Pa.B. Doc. No. 00-1289. Filed for public inspection July 28, 2000, 9:00 a.m.]
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