Black River Harbor Waterfall Overlook Reconstruction

The USDA Forest Service is soliciting bids for the Black River Harbor Waterfall Overlook Reconstruction project, which involves rehabilitation and reconstruction of waterfall overlook platforms and access stairs at four waterfall sites (Great Conglomerate Falls, Potawatomi/Gorge Falls, Sandstone Falls, and Rainbow Falls) within the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan. The project includes replacing approximately 200 linear feet of timber steps with an elevated wood stair structure at Sandstone Falls, performing localized pier foundation replacements along a 320-foot stair alignment at Rainbow Falls, and constructing two new 50-square-foot viewing platforms. Key contract requirements include compliance with Davis-Bacon wage determinations for Gogebic County, Buy American Act provisions, and environmental protection measures such as erosion control, slope stability management, and native plant restoration. The award will be made to the lowest-priced, responsible offeror on a firm-fixed-price basis using best value evaluation criteria. The deadline for submitting questions was September 24, 2025, and the current bid due date is December 2, 2025 at 1:00 PM Eastern time.

This solicitation is designated as a Total Small Business set-aside, with no identified incumbent contractors listed in the available documents. The estimated contract value falls between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000, representing a significant construction undertaking with a performance period scheduled from May 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027. Contractors must commence work within 10 calendar days of receiving the notice to proceed and maintain trail cross-traffic during construction. The place of performance is Bessemer, Michigan 49911, located within the Bessemer Ranger District of the Ottawa National Forest. The project involves complex geotechnical requirements including helical or concrete pier foundations with minimum embedment depths of 72 inches for frost protection and maximum anticipated loads of 6,000 pounds axial and 450 pounds lateral per pier.