Road Chemicals

The State of South Dakota, specifically Harding County, is soliciting a statewide contract for road chemicals to support winter maintenance operations. The procurement focuses on road salt and liquid magnesium chloride for the 2024-2025 winter season, with detailed specifications for product composition, delivery, and testing. The road salt must meet specific gradation, moisture content, and anti-caking agent requirements, while liquid magnesium chloride products must contain 28-32% magnesium chloride by weight and be listed on the Clear Roads consortium's Qualified Products List. Vendors must be capable of delivering road salt within 25 calendar days and liquid magnesium chloride within 7 calendar days of ordering, with potential liquidated damages for late deliveries. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder, with products subject to field inspection, sampling, and laboratory testing by the South Dakota Agricultural Laboratory. The solicitation was posted on June 20, 2024, with proposals due by July 18, 2024, covering estimated quantities of 55,550 tons of road salt across multiple regions and varying amounts of liquid magnesium chloride.

The contract appears to be open to all qualified vendors, with no specific set-aside designations mentioned in the documentation. The South Dakota Vendor Manual indicates preferences for resident businesses and in-state goods, along with requirements for non-discrimination and potential minority business utilization. While no incumbent vendors are explicitly identified, the solicitation suggests a competitive bidding process with potential consideration of past performance. The estimated contract value can be inferred from the procurement volumes, with requirements for 7,125 to 22,575 tons of road salt across different regions and liquid magnesium chloride quantities ranging from 17,500 to 175,000 gallons. Vendors must comply with the state's procurement policies, including requirements for bid submission, bid security, and adherence to detailed product specifications. The contract terms and potential renewal options are not explicitly defined in the provided documentation, but the vendor manual suggests contracts typically last up to five years with optional extensions.