Bridgetending Services at Torry Island Swing Bridge

Palm Beach County's Engineering Department, Road & Bridge Division is issuing a Request for Submittal (RFS) for bridgetending services at the Torry Island Swing Bridge located on West Lake Road in Belle Glade, Florida. The primary objective is to procure a qualified contractor to manually operate the swing bridge to accommodate both marine and vehicular traffic across the Okeechobee Rim Canal. The contractor must provide bridgetending services seven days a week, 365 days per year, with normal service hours of 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday and 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, responding to bridge opening requests within five minutes and providing on-call service outside normal hours within 60 minutes. Key qualifications include employing certified bridgetenders who meet specific physical and cognitive requirements, constructing and maintaining an office and restroom facility of at least 120 square feet at the contractor's expense on non-County property, providing VHF marine radio monitoring, and maintaining comprehensive insurance coverage including $500,000 Commercial General Liability and Workers' Compensation insurance. A mandatory pre-submittal conference and site inspection is required on July 20, 2018, at 10:00 a.m., with failure to attend resulting in automatic disqualification. Submittals must be received by August 14, 2018, at 4:00 p.m., consisting of one unbound original, three bound copies, and one electronic PDF copy. The contract period is two years beginning October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2020, with three optional one-year renewal periods at the County's sole discretion, and the anticipated award date is October 1, 2018.

Small business enterprise participation is encouraged in this procurement, though no specific set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligible respondents are identified in the available documentation. No incumbent vendor information or existing contractor details are provided. Pricing is submitted as fixed daily rates for 365 days per year, and the County retains responsibility for all bridge maintenance and grounds maintenance. The specific award value or budget range for this contract is not disclosed in the available materials, and interested contractors should reference the complete RFS document for additional technical specifications and evaluation criteria.