Route 9W, Bridge over Route 95, 1&9, 46, and 4 Borough of Fort Lee, Bergen County

The New Jersey Department of Transportation is requesting qualifications for Design-Build services to replace the Route 9W Bridge over Route 95, 1&9, 46, and 4 in the Borough of Fort Lee, Bergen County, with Statements of Qualifications due October 1, 2026. This is a two-phase procurement: shortlisted teams (maximum five) will be announced by December 21, 2026, and will proceed to RFP phase beginning Winter 2027, with best-value selection anticipated Fall 2027.

The project scope includes structural replacement providing a minimum 16'-6" vertical underclearance, retaining walls, approach pavement reconstruction, sign structures, intelligent transportation systems relocation, bridge and highway lighting, drainage improvements including new inlets and pipes, stormwater best management practices, utility relocation, traffic engineering and signals (permanent and temporary), work zone traffic control per NJDOT, NJ Turnpike Authority, and Port Authority standards, and ADA improvements. The Department retains responsibility for environmental clearances, right-of-way and easement acquisition, and utility agreements.

The estimated project range is $85 million to $125 million. The contract will be awarded as a lump-sum Design-Build with periodic payments and potential liquidated damages for failure to meet interim milestones. Design-Builders must provide bonding capacity sufficient to cover proposal bonds (50% of price bid), performance bonds (100% of price bid), and payment bonds (100% of price bid).

Proposers must be prequalified per New Jersey regulations: construction teams require construction classification 5 and minimum project rating of $100,000,001; design teams require B-1 Level C, H-1 Level C, and T-1 Level A prequalification; construction inspection firms require C-6 Level B certification. All Materials Testing Firms or Laboratories must be AASHTO accredited and independent of designers and constructors. Key Personnel—Project Manager, Resident Engineer, Project Superintendent, Design Manager, Quality Manager, and Lead Engineers—must remain intact throughout procurement and contract execution. Questions are due August 25, 2026; final addenda and answers by September 10, 2026. Shortlisted proposers submitting RFP proposals will receive a stipend except the selected Design-Builder.