Operational and Custodial Services for Lift Bridges in SWR

The Michigan Department of Transportation issued Request for Proposal (RFP) No. 210000000583 for operational and custodial services at the Bicentennial and Blossomland Lift Bridges located in Berrien County, Southwest Region. The procurement seeks qualified contractors to provide 24/7 bridge operations and maintenance services from March 15 through December 15 annually, with emergency navigational transportation services during the off-season (December 16 through March 14). Services include certified bridge operator staffing, visual equipment inspections, routine custodial duties including window cleaning, floor maintenance, power washing, and water pumping from counterbalance pits, compliance with U.S. Coast Guard Code of Federal Regulations (33 CFR 117), and comprehensive reporting and documentation. The contractor must designate a Program Manager available 24/7/365 with 15-minute telephone and 30-minute in-person response times, implement an eight-hour minimum classroom training program plus on-site training, and provide certified Trained Bridge Operators for each bridge structure. Bridge operator candidates must meet specific physical requirements including corrected vision of 20/40 or better, hearing sensitivity within defined frequency ranges, ability to climb stairs and ladders, drug-free status per federal requirements, and capacity to hand crank bridge gates and carry traffic control devices weighing approximately thirty pounds. The contract encompasses a three-year initial term with two optional one-year renewal periods, beginning March 1, 2021. Proposals were submitted electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS by January 20, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, with a bidder question deadline of January 12, 2021. Evaluation of proposals was conducted on a pass/fail basis using four criteria: completion of Schedule A (Statement of Work), completion of the Confidential Treatment Form, completion of the Vendor Questions Worksheet, and acceptance of standard contract terms, with award going to the responsive and responsible bidder passing all criteria and submitting the lowest price.

The RFP documentation does not identify set-aside designations, disadvantaged enterprise restrictions, or incumbent vendors, suggesting the procurement is open to all responsive and responsible bidders without specific targeting to particular business classifications. Bidders were required to complete vendor questions addressing company background, prior experience, Michigan economic impact, and various certifications regarding labor practices, tax compliance, and corporate citizenship. The contract requires contractors to maintain comprehensive insurance coverage including Commercial General Liability ($2,000,000 general aggregate minimum), Umbrella or Excess Liability Insurance ($5,000,000 minimum), Automobile Liability Insurance ($1,000,000 per accident minimum), and Workers' Compensation Insurance, with proof of insurance required prior to contract award. Pricing is structured as separate annual lump-sum mobilization fees and monthly operational service billings for each bridge, with per-opening fees for emergency off-season bridge openings, submitted in modifiable formats (Microsoft Word or Excel) with a 6 MB file size limit per document. All quoted prices are firm for the entire contract duration, and contractors must certify that pricing was developed independently. The RFP contains no mandatory minimum requirements, and the State reserves the right to conduct facility visits, request oral presentations, perform reference and background checks, and issue clarification requests; additionally, contracts valued at $250,000 or greater require approval by the State Administrative Board.