GAOA SUF Forest Road 152 South Brule River Bridge Replacement

The US Forest Service, Superior National Forest, is seeking a contractor for the bridge replacement project over Forest Road 152 South Brule River in Cook County, Minnesota. The procurement involves replacing an existing 35'-0" long x 14'-0" wide timber girder bridge from 1957 with a new 38'-8" long x 16'-0" wide single-span spike laminated timber bridge, including comprehensive construction activities such as excavation, road finishing, erosion control, aggregate base preparation, asphalt paving, timber pile installation, and bridge superstructure construction. The solicitation requires contractors to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) database and follows sealed bidding procedures under FAR Part 14 with the intent to award a firm-fixed-price contract. The evaluation will be based on the lowest-priced, responsible offeror who meets all solicitation requirements, with bids requiring a 20% bid guarantee. The bid opening was held via Microsoft Teams on July 14, 2025, with the original bid due date of July 11, 2025, and all in-stream work must be completed between June 30th and September 15th due to trout stream restrictions.

This procurement is designated as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business set-aside with an estimated project value between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000. Five vendors submitted bids ranging from $390,441 by Gustav & Rudy HUOT to $3,769,929.69 by Nordic Group, with other bidders including Day Services LLC, CS Nordic Group, and Winberg. The project scope includes 36 distinct line items covering all aspects of bridge construction and road work, with a performance period from June 30, 2025, to October 30, 2026, requiring completion by October 30, 2026. The work will be performed in Cook County, Minnesota, within the Superior National Forest, with the contractor required to design and construct a temporary bypass and submit various deliverables including a project plan within 15 business days of contract award. The project must comply with AASHTO 2009 standards and National Design Specifications for Wood Construction, with a design load of HL93/HS20-44 and maximum standard permit vehicle load of 250 kips.