751/22438. ABG; Tahquamenon Falls - Upper Falls Overlook

This is a construction solicitation issued jointly by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the installation of a universal access boardwalk and viewing platform at Tahquamenon Falls State Park's Upper Falls in Paradise, Michigan. The project scope encompasses concrete and helical foundation installation, new boardwalk and viewing platforms, clearing activities, HMA removal, existing staircase and platform removal, and select demolition of existing foundations. The work includes installation of approximately 35 helical piles with 24-inch caps and 88 helical piles with 18-inch caps, wood-framed boardwalks with fiberglass grating decking, five landing platforms of varying dimensions, a viewing platform with ADA-compliant railings, and approximately 89 cubic yards of fill below the 100-year floodplain elevation of 708.0. Key qualifications and requirements include compliance with Michigan soil erosion and sedimentation control regulations, asbestos and lead abatement procedures as applicable, prevailing wage requirements, and adherence to 2020 Michigan Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Construction. The contractor must provide a jobsite superintendent who is an employee of the contractor present 100 percent of the time whenever work occurs, maintain strict environmental and operational controls with weekly inspection requirements, and limit work to designated boundaries with penalties ranging from $500 to $5,000 for unauthorized construction activity. Bids were due Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, with a mandatory pre-bid conference and site walk-through held on May 16, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Questions were accepted until Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern and should have been directed to Zane Hyrkas at zane.hyrkas@ohm-advisors.com. Contract execution includes two construction phases, with Phase One requiring substantial completion by June 15, 2025, and Phase Two by August 8, 2025, with final completion by August 31, 2025, with work commencing no sooner than September 3, 2024. Liquidated damages are assessed at $1,000 per calendar day for failure to meet substantial completion and final completion dates.

Contractors must submit a five percent bid security with all bids remaining valid for 60 calendar days after the bid opening date, and performance and payment bonds are required for all bids exceeding $50,000. Bidders must submit a certification of Michigan-based business form for projects exceeding $100,000 and qualified disabled veteran business representation forms if applicable, indicating potential set-aside preferences for Michigan-based and disabled veteran-owned enterprises. Approved manufacturers for key project components include Fibergrate Composite Structures for fiberglass reinforced gratings and Helical Pier Distributions LLC, AB Chance Company, and Aluma-Form/Dixie for steel helical piers. Bid submissions were required electronically through the SIGMA VSS electronic system with a maximum of two attachments, each less than 6 MB. The base bid is structured as a lump sum including a $100,000 allowance, with separate schedules for contingent change order prices covering concrete foundations and helical pile foundations with different diameters and configurations (18-inch and 24-inch diameters, with and without battered piles) and an alternate for removal of the existing staircase and slope restoration. While no specific overall award value or budget range is explicitly stated in the procurement documents, the $100,000 allowance and the requirement for performance and payment bonds on bids exceeding $50,000 indicate the project is of significant value, likely in the multi-million-dollar range.