Retention of Engineering Firms [28 Pa.B. 1466] Allegheny County
Project Reference No. 08430AG2171The Department of Transportation will retain an engineering firm for a multi-phase, specific project agreement to undertake environmental and preliminary engineering studies; and to complete final design, including preparation of bridge and roadway plans, specifications and estimates. This project is for the widening of S.R. 0286 with connections to existing roads and businesses on both sides of the road for an approximate length of 7.65 km (4.75 miles). This project is located approximately two (2) miles east of Monroeville and north of U.S. Route 22 on S.R. 0286 to approximately S.R. 4057 in Westmoreland County, north of the Allegheny/Westmoreland County line. The project is located in Plum Borough and the Municipality of Monroeville in Allegheny County and the Municipality of Murrysville in Westmoreland County. The design portion of this multi-phase project is expected to have an overall duration of approximately thirty (30) months with shorter, varying schedules for individual phases. The estimated construction cost of the new roadway is over $20 million.
The selected firm will be required to provide a variety of services including the following: project administration; field surveys; utility coordination; H&H studies; geotechnical studies; preliminary right-of-way investigation; safety reviews; value engineering; environmental studies for environmental document preparation; Congestion Management System analysis; a public/public officials involvement program; alternative analyses; preliminary line, grade and typical section development; and preliminary type, size, and location submissions; final design activities including Final Step 9 and type, size, and location; drainage and highway lighting design; right-of-way plans; traffic control plans; erosion and sedimentation control plans; foundation submissions; structure designs; and preparation of a plans, specifications and estimates package.
The design of this project will be in metric units. Its funding will be 100% state.
The Department is seeking a moderate to large, multi-disciplined firm with environmental, geotechnical, highway design and structure design experience.
Letters of interest will be evaluated at the Engineering District 11-0 Office with emphasis on the following factors:
a. Ability to package and present the letter of interest in accordance with the ''General Requirements and Information'' section.
b. Specialized experience and technical competence of firm.
c. Experience in preparation of environmental documents and public involvement.
d. Public Involvement Coordinator/Public Presenter.
e. Experience in highway design, small structure design, traffic analysis, geotechnical design and hydrological/hydraulic analysis and design.
f. Past record of performance with respect to cost control, work quality, and ability to meet schedules.
g. Workload.
h. Listing of subconsultants.
i. Other factors, if any, specific to the project.
Limits to the letter of interest submittal, in addition to the General Requirements and Information, are as follows:
a. Resumes - ten total pages of resumes, one sided.
b. Standard Form 255, Item 8 (Number of project descriptions which demonstrates the firm's competence) - five (5) project descriptions.
The goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation in this Agreement shall be 15% of the total contract price. Additional information concerning DBE participation in this Agreement is contained in the General Requirements and Information section after the advertised projects.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required forms (see general requirements and information section) shall be sent to: Mr. Henry Nutbrown, P.E., District Engineer, District 11-0, 45 Thoms Run Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, Attention Mr. Sean M. Henderson, P.E.
The District will announce the firms that have been shortlisted at an open public meeting to be held at Engineering District 11-0, 45 Thoms Run Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017 at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 1998. Please specify a contact person, phone number, and address in the letter of interest.
Any technical questions concerning the requirements for this project should be directed to Mr. Sean M. Henderson, P.E., District 11-0, at (412) 429-4926.
Any questions concerning the submittal of the letter of interest can be directed to the Consultant Agreement Division at (717) 783-9309.
General Requirements and Information Firms interested in providing the above work and services are invited to submit two copies of a Letter of Interest are required information for each Project Reference Number for which the applicant wishes to be considered.
The first copy of the Letter of Interest and required information must be submitted to: Mr. Charles W. Allwein, P.E., Chief, Consultant Selection Committee, 7th Floor, Forum Place 555 Walnut Street, P. O. Box 3060, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105-3060. Note: The Zip Code for express Mailing is 17101-1900
The Letter of Interest and required information must be received within twenty (20) calendar days of this Notice. The Deadline for receipt of a Letter of Interest at the above address is 4:30 p.m. prevailing time of the twentieth day.
The second copy of the letter of interest and required information must be submitted to the appropriate District Engineer/Administrator or the Bureau Director as indicated in the individual advertisement. This copy must be postmarked or delivered on or before the deadline indicated above.
If an individual, firm, or corporation not authorized to engage in the practice of engineering desires to submit a Letter of Interest, said individual, firm, or corporation may do so as part of a Joint Venture with an individual, firm, or corporate which is permitted under the state law to engage in the practice of engineering.
If a Joint Venture responds to a project advertisement, the Department of Transportation will not accept separate Letters of Interest from the Joint Venture constituents. A firm will not be permitted to submit on more than one (1) Joint Venture for the same Project Reference Number. Also a firm that responds to a project as a prime may not be included as a designated subcontractor to another firm that responds as a prime to the project. Multiple responses under any of the foregoing situations will cause the rejection of all responses of the firm or firms involved. The above does not preclude a firm from being set forth as a designated subcontractor to more than one (1) prime responding to the project advertisement.
If a goal for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation is established for an advertised project, firms expressing interest in the project must agree to ensure that Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms as defined in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 and currently certified by the Department of Transportation shall have the maximum opportunity to participate in any subcontracting or furnishing supplies or services approved under Form 442, Section 1.10(a). The Act requires that firms owned and controlled by women (WBEs) be included, as a presumptive group, within the definition of Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE). The goal for DBE participation shall be as stated in the individual project advertisement. Responding firms shall make good faith efforts to meet the DBE goal using DBEs (as they were defined prior to the act, WEBs or combinations thereof.
Proposing DBE firms must be certified at the time of submission of the Letter of Interest. If the selected firm fails to meet the established DBE participation goal, it shall be required to demonstrate its good faith efforts to attain the goal.
Responses are encouraged by small firms, Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms, and other firms who have not previously performed work for the Department of Transportation.
Each Letter of Interest must include the following information and the information packaged and presented in the following order:
1. Transmittal Letter (Maximum of two (2) 8 1/2'' x 11'' typed pages, one side)
The subject heading of the transmittal letter must include the project reference number for which the applicant wishes to be considered, the firm's legal name, fictitious name (if applicable), and the firm's federal identification number. If the project advertisement indicated the Department will retain an engineering firm for the project, the applicant must indicate in the body of their transmittal letter the names and Professional Engineer License Number of individuals who are directing heads or employees of the firm who have responsible charge of the firm's engineering activities, and whose names and seals shall be stamped on all plans, specifications, plats, and reports issued by the firm.
2. Project Organizational Chart (one page, one side, maximum size 11'' x 17'')
This Chart must show key staff from the prime and each subconsultant and their area of responsibility.
3. Standard Form 255, ''Architect-Engineer and Related Services Questionnaire for Specific Project'' (one Form 255 for the project team)
The Standard Form 255 must be signed, dated, and filled out in its entirety, including Item No. 6 listing the proposed subconsultants and the type of work or service they will perform on the project.
Under Item 4 of this form, Column A must specify only the number of subconsultant personnel and Column B must specify only the number of prime consultant personnel to be assigned to work on this project reference number. Do include the total personnel for either the subconsultant or prime consultant under Item 4 unless the total personnel are necessary to provide the required work and services.
The prime and each subconsultant may include no more than one page each for Items 10 and 11.
If a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) goal is specified for the project, the DBE must be currently certified by the Department of Transportation, and the name of the DBE and the work to be performed must be indicated in Item No. 6. If a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) firm is substituted for the DBE, the WBE firm must also be presently certified by the Department of Transportation and indicated in Item 6.
4. Standard Form 254, ''Architect-Engineer for Related Services Questionnaire''
A Standard Form 254, not more than one (1) year old as of the date of this advertisement, must accompany each Letter of Interest for the firm, each party to a Joint Venture, and for each subconsultant the firm or Joint Venture is proposing to use for the performance of professional services regardless of whether the subconsultant is an individual, a college professor, or a Company, unless an acceptable Standard Form 254 for the prime and subconsultant/subcontractor is on file in both the Bureau of Design and the Engineering District Office or Central Office Bureau identified in the individual project advertisement.
If the Standard Form 254 is not submitted with the Letter of Interest, the transmittal letter shall indicate the dates that the Standard Forms 254 were submitted to the Bureau of Design and appropriate Engineering District/Central Office Bureau.
These Forms must be assembled with the prime's form first, followed by the form for each subconsultant in the same order as the subconsultants appear in Item 6 of Form 255.
5. Workload Projection Graph (Not required for Construction Inspection Services)
Separate Workload Projection Graphs for the prime and each subconsultant shown in Item 6 of the Form 255 must be included and must indicate the firm's current and anticipated workload compared to the anticipated capacity available for the next two-year time frame. The Workload Projection Graphs must be submitted for the office(s) where the work would be performed and must only include the personnel classifications required for providing the advertised services and work.
6. Authorization Letters (For Construction Inspections Services, if required)
If the advertisement requires a letter signed by individuals giving their approval to use their name in the Letter of Interest, the letters from proposed prime employees must be first, followed by subconsultant employees, in the same order as shown in Item 6 of Form 255.
7. Registration To Do Business
Firms with out-of-state headquarters or corporations not incorporated in Pennsylvania must include, with each Letter of Interest, a copy of their registration to do business in the Commonwealth as provided by the Department of State. Firms who are not registered to do business in Pennsylvania at the time of this advertisement must document that they have applied for registration to the Department of State, Corporation Bureau. The telephone number for the Corporation Bureau is (717) 787-1057 or (717) 787-2004.
8. Overhead Rates (one page)
A single page summary must indicate the latest audited overhead rate developed in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) for the prime consultant and each subconsultant. If a FAR rate is not available, the latest rate available from a Certified Public Accountant must be indicated. New firms should indicate how long the firm has been in existence and when an audited overhead rate would be available.
9. Additional Information
Additional information, not to exceed ten (10) one sided 8 1/2'' x 11'' pages or five (5) double sided 8 1/2'' x 11'' pages may be included at the discretion of the submitting firm.
The assignment of the agreement/contract for the above advertisement(s) will be made to one of the firms who submitted an acceptable Letter of Interest in response to the project advertisement. The assignment will be made based on the Department's evaluation of the firm's qualification and capabilities. The Department reserves the right to reject all letters submitted, to cancel the solicita-tions requested under this Notice, and/or to readvertise solicitation for the work and services.
BRADLEY L. MALLORY,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 98-460. Filed for public inspection March 20, 1998, 9:00 a.m.]
