54-TJK-01-PR31877

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is requesting proposals for professional landscape plant bed and mowing maintenance services on US 64 and US 64 Bypass on Roanoke Island in Dare County, Division 1, with proposals due July 15, 2026. This is a Small Business Enterprise set-aside limited to firms with annual gross income of $1,500,000 or less, exclusive of materials; bidders must hold current NCDOT SBE certification and be listed in the Directory of Transportation Firms at bid opening. Attendance at a mandatory pre-bid conference on June 30, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. at the Division 1 Roadside Office in Hertford is required for bid eligibility.

The scope encompasses labor, supervision, equipment, and supplies for maintenance of approximately 24 acres (115,848 square yards) of landscaped areas. Deliverables include 12 routine plant bed maintenance cycles annually, 700 cubic yards of mulch application, and 29 mowing cycles (quantity subject to weather fluctuation), plus edging, trimming, pesticide application, pruning, watering, and litter removal. The applicator must hold a current and valid North Carolina Ground Applicator Pesticide License with Right of Way Pest Control sub-classification issued by the Department of Agriculture in the applicator's and company's name.

The contract term runs September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with NCDOT holding the right to extend for two additional one-year periods at its sole discretion; each extension increases line item prices by 2 percent. Payment and performance bonds are waived; no retainage is withheld except the Department may withhold payment for specific locations until successful completion and final inspection. Liquidated damages are assessed at $500 per calendar day for time violations, $100 per calendar day for incomplete plant bed maintenance cycles, and $250 per hour for work performed outside authorized hours during holiday weekends and special events. Equipment inspection by the Division Roadside Environmental Engineer occurs prior to award. Funding derives from state highway appropriations and is subject to availability, with potential termination if funds become unavailable in any fiscal year.