RFQ Engineering & Design Services — Pedestrian Bridge, Spruce Pine, NC

The Town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, is soliciting Statements of Qualifications (SOQs) from engineering firms to provide comprehensive professional services for designing and constructing a new FEMA-funded pedestrian bridge that will reconnect Riverside Park and downtown Spruce Pine. The project involves guiding the entire lifecycle from preliminary alternatives analysis through construction close-out, with a specific focus on ensuring full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including FEMA Consensus-Based Codes, Specifications & Standards (CBCSS). Required expertise includes structural, geotechnical, hydraulic, civil, landscape architecture, and accessibility design, with firms needing demonstrated experience in completing similar pedestrian or multi-use bridge projects. The RFQ was issued on August 22, 2025, with questions due by September 10, 2025, and SOQs due by 4:00 p.m. ET on September 24, 2025. Evaluation criteria will assess the firm's experience, team competence, technical approach, and ability to meet project requirements, with key deliverables including community engagement, permit acquisition, design development, and construction administration.

The procurement offers additional consideration for veteran, minority, and women-owned businesses, signaling potential set-aside or preference designations for disadvantaged enterprises. The project will be funded through multiple sources, including FEMA Public Assistance (Category G), potential FEMA Hazard Grant Mitigation Program funds, and EPA Clean Water State Revolving Loan Funding. While a specific budget range is not explicitly stated, the comprehensive nature of the project—involving a complete bridge replacement after destruction by Tropical Storm Helene—suggests a significant capital investment. The selected engineering firm will need to integrate design considerations mandated by current hazard-resistant design criteria, such as AASHTO LRFD Pedestrian Bridge Guide, ASCE 24 flood-resistant design, ASCE 7 wind/seismic standards, 2010 ADA Standards, and the 2024 NC State Building Code. No incumbent vendors are mentioned in the documentation, indicating this is likely a new procurement for a critical infrastructure replacement project.