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Publications iconKansas Register

Volume 40 - Issue 45 - November 11, 2021

State of Kansas

Department of Transportation

Notice to Consulting Firms

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is seeking a consulting firm for the project listed below. Interested consulting firms must be prequalified by KDOT in the following categories: (a) Category 211 Highway Design – Major Facility, and (b) 302 – Engineering Survey. A PDF response (2 Mb maximum size) must be emailed to kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov, Attention: Marcia Turner, P.E., Assistant Contracts Engineer. Proposal responses are limited to four (4) pages; the subject line of the reply email and the PDF file name must read “I-35 CMP Rehabilitation_FIRM NAME.” Submission of a proposal is required for consideration and must be received by 12:00 p.m., December 3, 2021, for the consulting firm to be considered.

If a firm is not currently prequalified by KDOT, 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 notice for the project. Firms may use the KDOT prequalification form to provide this documentation. KDOT 1050 Prequalification category definitions (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 Project

This corrugated metal crossroad pipe (CMP) rehabilitation project has been identified as a potential preservation project in the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program. KDOT has determined approximately 70 existing CMPs along I-35, through the limits defined in Table 1 below, are in varying states of deterioration and may require rehabilitation or replacement. A majority of the pipe installations are broken back. KDOT is targeting a potential letting in early calendar year 2023. Available as-built plans can be downloaded from https://secftp.ksdot.org/public/file/Lh_Lj-DA0EK4VkbVOIbwfQ/35-30ka-6076-01OldPlans.zip.

Please contact kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov with questions about or problems accessing the site.

Table 1: CMP Rehabilitation
Route and Scope Length Project Termini
I-35 Franklin CMP Rehabilitation ~20.6 road mi Osage/Franklin County line to Junction I-35/U-59

Scope of Services to be Performed

KDOT is seeking consultant services for a three-phase project approach to deliver this project. KDOT intends to select the most highly qualified firm to perform professional services associated with the design and execution of this rehabilitation project.:

In Phase I, the consultant will study the existing CMPs and provide recommendations for KDOT evaluation. KDOT anticipates the following activities in Phase I:

  • Visit the project site locations and inspect with camera(s) the full length of CMPs as well as inlet and outlet structures
    • Information for site visit planning purposes: Overlay of I-35 in this area will be taking place in 2022 construction season (no consultant scope is contemplated herein related to that effort)
  • Provide KDOT with a prioritized list of locations requiring rehabilitation or replacement. At each location provide prioritized recommendations: no action, rehabilitation, or replacement. Recommendations will consider cost, hydraulic capacity, service life, schedule for completion of work, and impact to lane restrictions on I-35. Consultant shall take steps to understand and consider all appropriate varieties of actively employed technical approaches to pipe rehabilitation and replacement
  • Provide a construction cost estimate
  • Provide recommendations for new inlet and end treatment type(s) as needed

If the project progresses to Phase II and consultant is retained, the consultant will prepare letting documents for CMP rehabilitation or replacement. KDOT anticipates the following activities in Phase II:

  • Develop construction package including plan sheets, detail sheets for rehabilitation or replacement/reconstruction options developed, traffic control phasing, quantities, specifications, and special provisions
  • Construction package may include bid alternates and/or performance specifications for recommendations identified during Phase 1. Construction package may include contractor opportunity for alternative technical concepts

If the project progresses to Phase III and consultant is retained, KDOT anticipates the following consultant activities in Phase III:

  • Construction phase services including shop drawing review, responding to RFIs, and attendance at critical coordination meetings, including preconstruction meeting

Special Conditions

Project Manager Consultant (PMC)

The study and subsequent construction project(s) are being managed by a PMC on behalf of KDOT. The PMC will be the primary contact for the selected firms.

Schedule Reporting

Project schedule will be developed during project negotiation. A basic schedule template, prepared by the PMC, will be reviewed and specific dates will be defined by the consultant in order to achieve the critical milestones. Monthly schedule progress reports and updates will be required throughout the project from the consultant and reviewed with the PMC to track progress for KDOT.

Quality Control

The consultant will be required to provide a Quality Control (QC) plan at project kick-off. QC audits will be conducted by the PMC throughout the project. The audits will check compliance with Consultant’s QC plan.

Schedule

The project is anticipated to be let in FY 2023; therefore, KDOT requests the design activities be scheduled to deliver complete plans by October 2022. This project will follow a modified delivery schedule anticipating no right-of-way efforts or environmental permitting are needed.

Instructions for Proposal

No cost or pricing information shall be submitted with the proposal. A PDF response (2 Mb maximum size) must be emailed to kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov, Attention: Marcia Turner, P.E., Assistant Contracts Engineer. Proposal responses are limited to four (4) pages (not including the cover letter) to address the topics listed in Table 2 below; the subject line of the reply email and the PDF file name must read “I-35 CMP Rehabilitation_FIRM NAME.” Submission of a proposal is required for consideration and must be received by 12:00 p.m. (CST), December 3, 2021. Questions can be submitted until November 18, 2021; answers will be provided to all prequalified consultants on November 23, 2021.

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.” The following outline is the expected submittal organization, content, and page length for the technical proposals.

Table 2: Proposal Content
Section Content Pages
Cover Letter 1 page
Overview
  • Qualifications and experience, including experience with development and assessment of performance specifications
  • Project manager and proposed team members-Names, qualifications, education, training, and expertise
  • Past performance of consultant on similar projects, including references and contact information
  • Use of alternate bids, performance specifications, and/or alternative technical concepts
  • Quality control process for the project
2 pages
Project Approach Highlight concepts for cost-effective and optimized solutions for CMP rehabilitation or replacement. Include unique qualifications or experience that may inform selection of firm. 2 pages

Proposals submitted shall also include a completed Special Attachment No. 8 (“Tax Clearance Certificate,” available at https://www.kdor.ks.gov/apps/TaxClearance; Note: the certificate can take three days to receive, please plan accordingly) 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.

Selection Process

Proposals including cost or pricing information will not be considered in the selection process to rank proposals. Per standard KDOT consultant selection process, consultants will be selected from the technical proposal submitted – there will be no interview phase.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the factors listed in Table 3.

Table 3: Evaluation Factors
Evaluation Factor Weighting
Qualifications and experience, including experience with performance specifications, alternative technical concepts, and innovative rehabilitation solutions 30%
Past performance 20%
Approach to investigation, design, and construction schedule, including proven approaches firm has implemented elsewhere 30%
Familiarity with CMP rehabilitation and interstate work 20%

The KDOT Consultant Selection Committee will select the most highly qualified firm expressing interest based on factors listed in Table 3. The PMC will not be on the KDOT Consultant Selection Committee. The selected consultant will proceed quickly through scoping, fee negotiation, and to notice to proceed. Fee negotiation will include separate estimates for Phase I Study, Phase II Construction Package Delivery, and Phase III Construction Services.

The selected firm will be asked to enter into negotiations with KDOT for an agreement. In the event KDOT cannot reach agreement with the 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.

Contract Terms and Conditions

A standard KDOT agreement for engineering and technical services will be used for this project. Special attachments for the Kansas “Tax Clearance Certificate,” the “Certification of Final Indirect Costs,” and the Special Attachment No. 10 (“Policy Regarding Sexual Harassment”) will also eventually become attachments to the contract.

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

Questions about this RFP shall be sent by email to KDOT at kdot.designcontracts@ks.gov.

Ben Asnicar, PE
Interim Contracts Engineer

Doc. No. 049565