RFB-147-26 DJJ-Lake Cumberland YDC Paving and Retaining Wall

The Commonwealth of Kentucky Department for Facilities and Support Services, Division of Engineering and Contract Administration, is soliciting bids for paving and retaining wall construction services at the Lake Cumberland Youth Development Center in Monticello, Kentucky under RFB-147-26. The procurement encompasses asphalt paving work including mill and replace operations (1 inch mill with 1.5 inches of surface replacement) and full depth replacement at designated locations, limited concrete paving for a dumpster area on the north end of the site, and replacement of an existing gabion retaining wall with a mechanically stabilized earth block wall. Associated work includes removal and reinstallation of a sanitary sewer lateral, rerouting of storm sewers around the new retaining wall, and replacement of one sanitary manhole in the drive aisle near the north end of the site, with provisions to maintain continuous access to the north end of the campus during construction. A mandatory site visit is scheduled for December 10, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. ET at 900 Highway 1546, Monticello, Kentucky. The official bid closing date is January 20, 2026, at 1:30 P.M. ET, with a public bid reading by conference call scheduled for 3:00 P.M. ET on the same date. All bids must be submitted exclusively through the Commonwealth's eProcurement system at https://vss.ky.gov; postal mail, courier service, and hand-delivered bids will not be accepted. Bidders must register in the Vendor Self Service (VSS) System prior to submission, allowing 24 to 48 hours for account activation, and must submit the Official Bid Document and any required Bid Bond as a single combined PDF attachment. All project plans, specifications, and drawings are available at no charge through the State of Kentucky Plan Room at https://www.stateofkyplanroom.com, and procurement questions should be directed to Purchasing Agent Janis Wilhoite at (502) 401-6239 or janis.wilhoite@ky.gov.

The solicitation documents do not specify any set-aside designations or restrictions limiting eligibility to particular types of organizations, though contractors not registered as planholders will not receive addenda and must ensure compliance with all technical specifications outlined in the bid documents. Significant geotechnical concerns have been identified requiring bidders' attention: a December 2024 geotechnical exploration report prepared by UES, Inc., documents unsuitable uncontrolled fill material ranging from 13.5 to 23.2 feet deep containing heterogeneous materials, organic matter, roots, and potentially buried trees, along with soft and wet soil conditions. The report recommends complete removal of unsuitable fill and controlled replacement with properly compacted materials, and bidders should budget for potential contingencies related to encountering underground structures or hazardous materials from previous site development, as well as possible underpinning of gymnasium foundations depending on fill removal scope. The report further recommends retaining geotechnical personnel for construction observation and additional geotechnical analysis prior to final wall construction. No incumbent vendors, current contract values, or specific award values are identified in the available solicitation documents; bidders should enter $0.00 in the eProcurement system line item field with the actual contract amount to be included on the Official Bid Document submitted as an attachment.