26-042 ITS Loop A Fiber Project S2101

The City of Sandy Springs, Georgia issued Invitation to Bid #26-042 for the ITS Loop A Fiber Project S2101, a fiber optic communications infrastructure installation project spanning approximately 9.3 miles throughout the city. The procurement encompasses the installation of new fiber optic trunkline, replacement of existing fiber trunkline, and installation of new fiber drop cables to 22 existing traffic signals, utilizing both aerial and underground installations through existing and new conduits installed via trenching and directional boring. The scope of work includes underground and aerial fiber installation, conduit installation, pullbox placement and reuse, fiber splicing and termination, hub cabinet and switch installation (specifically a Ruggedcomm RST916C 16-port switch with SFP+ ports), traffic management center (TMC) integration, conflict monitoring, battery backup systems, testing and certification, and restoration of disturbed areas. The project is structured as a base bid with three optional bid alternates, with the base design priced at $97,500.00, Bid Alternate 1 at $18,000.00, Bid Alternate 2 at $37,500.00, and Bid Alternate 3 at $16,500.00. The non-mandatory pre-bid conference was scheduled for March 10, 2026 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST via Microsoft Teams, with written questions due by March 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. EST through the Bonfire Portal. Bids were originally due March 25, 2026 but were rescheduled via Addendum 2 to April 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. EST, with bid opening conducted via Microsoft Teams. The contract duration is 365 calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, with work hours restricted to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding ten specified federal holidays, and Substantial Completion required within 365 calendar days with Final Completion within 21 calendar days of punch list issuance.

Contractors must be pre-qualified with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) as Prime Contractors and must perform at least 51 percent of the work directly. A Bid Bond equal to 5 percent of the bid amount is required, with Performance and Payment Bonds each at 100 percent of the total Contract Price required upon award. The contractor must maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate, Automobile Liability of $1,000,000, Umbrella coverage of $3,000,000, Professional Errors and Omissions of $3,000,000, and Fidelity Bond of $50,000. The project is funded through Sandy Springs TSPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funding. Four vendors submitted bids on April 1, 2026, with Smart Road Technology, LLC submitting the lowest bid at $717,062.00, followed by WCG & Sons, LLC at $859,889.25, NGT Group LLC at $1,450,561.59, and Lumin8 Transportation Technologies at $1,805,451.35, demonstrating significant variation in pricing approaches and scope interpretation. Liquidated damages are assessed at $500 per day for delays beyond the contract time for Substantial Completion and an additional $500 per day for delays beyond 21 calendar days after punch list issuance, with progress payments made monthly at 90 percent of work completed and retainage of up to 10 percent until 50 percent of contract value is achieved.