Traditional mowing-aiken

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is soliciting bids for a comprehensive Traditional Mowing contract covering Aiken County through Solicitation 5400026123. This procurement encompasses routine mowing services across Interstate, Primary, and Secondary road networks, involving 18,919.80 acres of Interstate routine mowing, 36,037.80 acres of Primary routine mowing, and 35,118.20 acres of Secondary routine mowing. Specific deliverables include six annual mowing cycles for Interstate and Primary routes, four cycles for Secondary routes, and additional specialized services such as rail mowing along guardrails, ditch mowing, and bridge mowing. The contract requires contractors to provide all necessary labor, materials, equipment, transportation, and traffic control for maintaining roadway vegetation across 822.11 centerline miles of secondary routes and multiple interstate and primary road segments. The pre-bid conference is scheduled for November 8, 2023, at 10:00 A.M., with questions due by November 9, 2023, at 2:30 P.M., and bid submissions required online by December 12, 2023, at 2:30 P.M. Award notification is planned for January 18, 2024, with an estimated contract start date of March 1, 2024.

The solicitation does not explicitly specify set-aside designations for disadvantaged businesses or minority-owned enterprises. The contract period is one year with four potential one-year renewals, creating a maximum potential contract duration of five years. Mowing activities are restricted to the period between April 1 and November 15 annually, with ditch and bridge mowing permitted year-round. Award will be made to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, with contractor personnel, equipment, and qualifications subject to SCDOT approval. Non-compliance penalties range from $500 to $1,000 per offense, and contractors must provide a labor and material payment bond equal to the contract value within ten days of execution. While specific budget ranges are not detailed, the extensive scope of work covering multiple road types and requiring multiple annual mowing cycles suggests a significant contract value. The State reserves the right to terminate the contract for convenience or default, with potential daily deductions of $1,000 for failure to progress work according to specified cycle times.