New Sunshine Substation Transmission Line Construction

The City of Gallup, New Mexico is soliciting competitive bids through Invitation to Bid (ITB-2614) for the construction of a 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line serving the New Sunshine Substation, located at the north end of Gomez Street in Gallup. The project encompasses installation of two new transmission tap structures, modification or replacement of existing transmission structures between structures T7-N and T4-N, installation of 954 kcmil ACSR "Cardinal" and 477 kcmil ACSR "Hawk" conductors, shield wire, insulators, hardware, switches, and all associated components necessary to place the facilities into service. The work includes stringing, sagging, tensioning, and dead-ending of conductors in accordance with approved plans, coordination with substation upgrade activities, and compliance with the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and City standards. Qualified contractors must submit bids as a single lump-sum base bid with all labor, equipment, supervision, and incidentals included, and must submit questions by February 18, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., with sealed bids due electronically via the City's OpenGov procurement portal by March 5, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. The contract term is twenty-one (21) calendar days from the Notice to Proceed, with estimated work commencement contingent upon material delivery in July 2026. Bidders must meet construction industry licensing requirements, provide a five percent (5%) bid bond payable to the City of Gallup, and upon award furnish both a Performance Bond and Payment Bond each in 100% of the contract amount, along with Comprehensive General Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per occurrence, Comprehensive Automobile Liability Insurance of $1,000,000 per person, and statutory Workers' Compensation Insurance. Award will be made to the lowest responsible bidder submitting a responsive bid, with liquidated damages assessed at $1,008 per calendar day for failure to meet the completion deadline, and a one-year warranty on all labor, materials, and workmanship required.

Bidders claiming New Mexico Resident Contractor or Resident Veteran Contractor preference must provide a certificate from the State Department of Taxation and Revenue issued on or after July 1, 2016. The project is subject to New Mexico Public Works Statutes, the Construction Industries Licensing Act, and prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act or the New Mexico Public Works Minimum Wage Act, whichever provides greater compensation, with contractors and subcontractors required to register with the New Mexico Labor and Industrial Division for contracts exceeding $60,000. Prevailing wage rates for McKinley County classifications include Lineman at $51.71 base/$21.43 fringe, Journeyman Transmission Technician at $47.58 base/$20.40 fringe, Cable Splicer at $52.98 base/$21.75 fringe, and Equipment Operator at $40.94 base/$17.73 fringe, with contractors required to submit a Statement of Intent to Pay Prevailing Wages within three days of contract award and an Affidavit of Wages Paid upon project completion. Contractors must obtain a Public Right-of-Way and Public Easement Work Permit from the City of Gallup and comply with the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) Indemnification and Hold Harmless Agreement with minimum liability coverage of $1,000,000 per occurrence, as well as EPA stormwater discharge compliance requirements under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) General Permit and submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI) for storm water discharges. The estimated project cost is $673,000.00, with the contract award date anticipated as April 1, 2026. The City reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to increase or decrease quantities as needed to complete the work.