26-0085-2 Old River Road Widening - Phase I

Chatham County, in coordination with Effingham County, is soliciting Statements of Qualifications from consulting firms to provide engineering design services for the Old River Road Widening Project — Phase I, with SOQs due August 14, 2026, and a virtual pre-qualification conference on July 29. The project will be jointly funded by both counties on a 50/50 cost-sharing basis through State and Federal transportation funds.

The scope covers approximately three miles of roadway widening from two lanes to four-lane divided facility, extending from State Route 204 in Chatham County to Interstate 16 in Effingham County. Services include engineering, environmental documentation, surveying, permitting, utility coordination, public involvement, and project management across four phases: Concept Development and Environmental Documentation, Preliminary Engineering, Right-of-Way Plans, and Final Design. Deliverables encompass roadway reconstruction, drainage improvements, safety enhancements, access management, intersection improvements, traffic control features, and multimodal accommodations.

The prime consultant must hold Georgia Department of Transportation prequalification in Rural Roadway Design. Team members must hold prequalifications in Transportation Planning, NEPA Documentation, Traffic Studies, Land Surveying, and Environmental services. Key Team Leads must be prequalified in Rural Roadway Design, Environmental services, Community Value Studies, and Traffic Projections. All work must comply with current GDOT Plan Development Process, FHWA requirements, and applicable State and Federal standards, including federal compliance provisions addressing Equal Employment Opportunity, Davis-Bacon Act wage requirements, Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards, debarment certifications, and Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment certifications.

Evaluation occurs in two phases. Phase I (SOQs) weights experience and qualifications at 30% and resources and workload capacity at 20% to identify three to five finalist firms by August 31. Phase II (technical approach responses due September 15) weights technical approach at 35%, MBE/WBE/DBE participation at 10%, and past performance at 5%. Contract type will be negotiated and may include Lump Sum, Cost Plus Fixed Fee, Cost per Unit of Work, or Specific Rate of Compensation structures. Questions are due August 4, 2026.