Mill River Trail (District to Blake Field)

The City of New Haven, Connecticut, issued Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 2026-ITB-318 on March 8, 2026, for construction services to design and construct the Mill River Trail (District to Blake Field) in New Haven County. This heavy/highway construction project involves constructing a 12-foot-wide multi-use trail along the Mill River with associated work including site grading, process base preparation, hot mix asphalt pavement, drainage improvements, sidewalk installation, and curb cut ramps to ensure Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. The project scope encompasses removable bollards (6 units), trail construction (1,134 square yards), 12-inch by 12-inch timber curbing (150 linear feet), three reinforced concrete pipe installations for drainage at specified stations, modification of existing stairs to an ADA-compliant concrete ramp with maximum 6 percent longitudinal slope, handrail modifications, silt fencing (400 linear feet), 6-foot chain-link fencing with galvanized mesh (1,110 linear feet), chain-link fence gates (2 units), concrete sidewalk (20 square yards), construction survey work, and clearing and grubbing operations. Qualified contractors must maintain general liability insurance with minimum limits of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 combined aggregate, workers' compensation insurance at statutory limits, and perform work in compliance with Connecticut Department of Transportation standard specifications and prevailing wage requirements established by the Connecticut Department of Labor, with wage rates ranging from $21.42 to $67.52 per hour depending on worker classification. The question and clarification deadline is March 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM, with bids due on April 1, 2026, at 3:00 PM. The City intends to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder and reserves the right to reject any or all bids. Bidders are required to conduct site visits to familiarize themselves with existing conditions and may submit proposals electronically through the City's OpenGov eProcurement Portal. The contract term is one year unless otherwise specified in the project specifications.

This procurement includes set-aside requirements and restrictions on eligible bidders. The project is subject to minority and women-owned business enterprise (MBE/WBE) utilization goals of 25 percent, with contractors required to submit a completed MBE Utilization Form documenting all subcontractors, the types of work to be performed, dollar amounts, outreach methods used to secure each subcontractor, and appropriate company classifications; failure to complete this form will result in bid rejection. All contractors and subcontractors must comply with the City of New Haven Living Wage Ordinance for contracts exceeding $25,000, the Commission on Equal Opportunities prevailing wage requirements, and apprentice hiring requirements with a minimum 15 percent workforce participation on projects exceeding $500,000. Local preference applies to businesses with a principal place of business in New Haven, allowing qualified city-based bidders to submit bids up to 15 percent higher than the lowest bid and still be considered if they accept the lowest bid amount. Bids must be accompanied by bid security equal to five percent of the total bid amount, submitted as a certified check, negotiable U.S. Government bonds, or electronic bid bond through Surety 2000 or Tinubu Surety. Performance and labor and material bonds equal to 100 percent of the contract amount are required upon award. Contractors must pay all permit fees, including state encroachment permits and city obstruction permits (with the city obstruction permit fee waived), and comply with the prevailing wage schedule effective February 27, 2026, established by the Connecticut Department of Labor. No specific contract award value is stated in the solicitation documents; however, the City reserves the right to audit contractor records during the contract period and for twelve months following contract closure, and violation of compliance requirements such as failure to conduct pre-award conferences, late certified payroll reports, or violations of maximum effort diversity requirements may result in penalties ranging from $750 to $4,000 or 1-2 percent of contract amount, whichever is greater.