Site work for a bridge / tunnel in Colchester, Vermont. Conceptual plans call for site work for a bridge / tunnel.

The Town of Colchester Department of Public Works (the Town) is requesting proposals from engineering firms (Consultants) for design engineering services for the Creek Farm Road Bridge on Creek Farm Road in Colchester, Vermont. The Town is anticipating the analysis of two design alternatives: extensive rehabilitation of the abutment and bridge, and full replacement. The Town is seeking to procure services for design, permitting, contract documents, bidding services, and construction oversight as outlined in the request for proposals. The format of this request for proposals is a hybrid between a competitive bid process and a qualification-based selection process. Responses to this request for proposals shall include cost proposals for the scope of work outlined. Responses shall also include a statement of qualifications and a rate sheet for the proposed project team. Interested firms should register their intent by sending an email to Lea Sanguinetti, the Assistant Town Engineer, so as to be placed on the question's distribution list. All questions related to the request for proposals shall be directed to Lea Sanguinetti. Questions regarding this request for proposal are due by end of day Friday, September 8, 2023. Other than very routine questions, all questions must be submitted in written form and will be answered in writing and distributed to all firms signifying an interest in submitting their proposals. Project Background: The Creek Farm Road Bridge is owned and maintained by the Town of Colchester and provides access over Indian Brook for three residential properties. Creek Farm Road is a dead-end road. The existing bridge is an approximately 17'-6" long and 16'-0" wide single lane bridge with a maximum posted weight limit of 16,000 pounds. The bridge consists of stone abutments, steel beam superstructure and timber decking. An inspection during April 2022 revealed the presence of a beaver dam beneath the Creek Farm Road Bridge. The dam raised the water level on the upstream side of the bridge approximately 2 to 3 feet. The Department of Public Works (DPW) partnered with the Town's Technical Rescue Team to remove the dam. Following the removal of the dam, it was noted that the elevated water levels had flowed in behind the stone abutments and caused significant erosion, as well as some displacement of the stone abutment material. The combination of this damage, as well as ongoing deterioration of the superstructure, warranted corrective measures. To ensure the ongoing safety of motorist crossing over this structure, DPW partnered with VTrans for the installation of a temporary bridge. The temporary structure was installed June 6th to 8th, 2022. The installation of the bridge was performed by DPW crews under the oversight of VTrans. The temporary bridge is a 50-foot-long, single lane temporary bridge, designed for HS-25 loads. SCOPE OF WORK PHASE I - PROJECT DEFINITION Task 1: Project Kick-Off The Consultant will convene a project kick-off meeting to discuss the goals and objectives of the Town and define the project development process. The Consultant will discuss the project schedule and arrange to collect all information relevant to the project. The Consultant will coordinate and schedule this meeting and take notes to document the discussions and decisions made and distribute to parties of interest. Task 2: Site Visit and Verification of Existing Site Conditions The Consultant shall plan on inspecting the existing substructure and superstructure of the bridge, as well as the general site to document and verify the existing conditions, to the extent necessary, to determine potential design alternatives. Task 3: Data Collection and Base Plan A survey of the bridge and immediate project areas shall be completed as part of this task, which shall include elevations and the existing substructure and superstructure, as well as any utilities that are present within the immediate project limits along with any additional features not identified that will be needed to complete the design. Prior to the survey, the Town will contact property owners to inform them of the survey schedule. A base plan will be submitted to the Town once all survey activities are completed. The Consultant shall consider data collection necessary to accommodate a potential temporary detour to be used by residents during construction. The survey will be performed to a level of detail sufficient for design and construction. Any survey data will be imported using current VTrans Standards and will create a 3-dimensional digital terrain model (DTM), as well as an annotated base plan showing all the existing detail. The existing conditions plans will be provided to the Town. An engineering field review will be completed to verify the existing conditions plans and to identify additional engineering related survey needs. The existing ROW will be depicted on the plans. Approximate existing property lines and owners' names will be added to the plans based on available electronic tax map information as needed. Task 4: Permit Requirement Coordination and Summary The bridge repair and/or replacement may require a variety of local, State, and Federal permits and coordination, including but not limited to Stream Alteration permit, Flood Hazard Area & River Corridor, General Permit, State Wetlands permit and an Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit. Other permits may be required. The Consultant will complete a site visit with the Town and State and Federal Agency representatives to review the alternatives and confirm the applicable permits. The Consultant will document the permits required in meeting notes and send to all attendees for confirmation. The notes and confirmation will be included in the alternative's analysis. Permit applications will not be prepared as part of Task 4. Task 5: Initiate Conceptual Design Upon completion of the existing conditions plan, initial design work will be completed to identify the major project design challenges associated with the bridge alternatives and temporary detour. This work will include creating a template that will allow for modeling and developing proposed slope limits then completing several critical cross sections to depict potential impacts to adjacent properties, utility poles, trees, etc. that will need to be addressed. Task 6: Alternatives Analysis As part of this task, the Consultant is expected to present two initial design alternatives to the Town. This will include conceptual plans, a construction cost estimate, identification of permits needed, and any other pertinent information for comparing the alternatives. The anticipated schedule for permit review and approval shall be provided. Each alternative should take into consideration access for the residential properties during construction. It is expected that a temporary detour will be required during construction.