Traditional mowing sumter-LEE-kershaw

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) has issued an Invitation for Bid (IFB) for comprehensive traditional mowing services across Sumter, Lee, and Kershaw Counties, covering Interstate, Primary, and Secondary roadways. The solicitation requires routine mowing, rail mowing, ditch mowing, and bridge mowing services, with specific quantitative requirements including 7,408.20 acres of Interstate routine mowing (6 cycles annually), 30,025.80 acres of Primary routine mowing (6 cycles annually), and 42,446.60 acres of Secondary routine mowing (4 cycles annually). Contractors must provide all necessary labor, equipment, materials, and traffic control, with strict compliance to MUTCD standards and warning light requirements. A mandatory Pre-Bid Conference is scheduled for January 9, 2024, at 10:00 AM at SCDOT headquarters in Columbia, with teleconference access available. Potential bidders must submit questions by January 10, 2024, at 12:00 PM, with final offers due online by January 30, 2024, at 2:30 PM. The contract will be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, with all mowing work to be completed between April 1 and November 15 each year.

The solicitation appears to be an open procurement without specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Contractors must maintain substantial insurance coverage, including commercial general liability insurance with $1,000,000 per occurrence limits, auto liability insurance with $1,000,000 per accident limits, and workers' compensation insurance with statutory limits. The contract will be an initial one-year term with four potential one-year renewals, creating a total possible five-year contract period from March 9, 2024, to March 8, 2029. Contractors must submit a labor and material payment bond equal to one year's contract value within ten days of contract execution. Non-compliance penalties range from $500 to $1,000 per offense, with additional repair cost assessments. The total estimated contract value across all lots is approximately $16.6 million, with annual variations depending on specific route and maintenance requirements. Price adjustments are permitted only for renewal terms, limited to the CPI-U increase for "Other Goods and Services" with at least ninety days' notice and adequate justification.