Federal Highway Administration, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166

Y -- BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY PROJECT NC NHF 421(10) SOL DTFH71-99-B-00009 DUE 042299 POC Engineering Coordinator, Gary L. Brown, 703-285-0075; This is a modification to the notice previously submitted for the Blue Ridge Parkway Project NC NHF 421(10), in Watauga County, North Carolina. Sealed bids will be accepted from all business concerns for the project, which consists of the reconstruction of the Blue Ridge Parkway/U.S. Route 421 interchange and includes construction of retaining walls; facing the retaining walls with either simulated stone masonry or Class B Masonry; removing the existing bridge and replacing the bridge with a concrete box girder structure; widening U.S. Route 421 from a two lane undivided section to a four lane divided section; and miscellaneous minor realignments and related work. Principal items of work and approximate quantities are as follows: Removal of bridge, Lump Sum; Roadway excavation, 145,000 m3; Alternate retaining wall (6 walls), Lump Sum; Aggregate base, grading D, 19,000 t; Hot asphalt concrete pavement, Class A, North Carolina state grading, 10,650 t; Structural concrete, Class A(AE), 1,600 m3; Class B masonry, rock face finish, bridge masonry face, 200 m3; Dimensioned masonry, rock face finish, bridge masonry face, 55 m3; Class B masonry, rock face finish (for retaining wall facing), 5,200 m2; Simulated stone masonry surface treatment, 3,500 m2. The project is expected to fall within the price range of $10 million to $15 million. The Invitation for Bids Number for the solicitation has been changed to DTFH71-99-B-00009 and will be issued on or about March 8, 1999. The Government will issue this solicitation through the use of compact disks (CD-ROM). Plans, proposal and contract booklets, standard specifications, and other bid documents will be available in electronic format on CD-ROM only and will be provided free of charge. The disk will be self-contained with bid documents in (.pdf) file format; drawings in (.cal) group 4 raster format; and viewing/printing software. The number of compact disks will be limited to one (1) per firm. Plans and specifications WILL NOT be provided in printed paper format. All bid forms, bid bonds, and other normal documents required for the bid submittal shall be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration in paper format. Electronic submission of bids WILL NOT be accepted. The CD-ROM will be available on or after the issuance date, from the Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD), 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia 20166-6511, telephone: 800-892-8776, at no charge to bidders, subcontractors, and suppliers. Previous requesters of bidding documents will automatically receive a CD-ROM, and are encouraged to confirm their inclusion on the planholder's list by accessing the EFLHD website (www.efl.fha.dot.gov). New requesters should call 703-285-0212 to verify availability of the CD-ROM. All requests for the CD-ROM will be mailed first class. It is strongly recommended that all requests for the CD-ROM be received 7 calendar days before bid opening to ensure receipt of requested materials. Requests for "e-mailing" or overnight mailing will not be accepted. Please note that the project's updated planholder's list and solicitation schedule information can be viewed at the EFLHD website address listed above. The following applies for Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises: The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization has bonding programs to assist Minority, Women-owned, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises to acquire short-term capital and bonding assistance for transportation-related contracts. Loans are available under the DOT Short-Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rates up to $500,000 per contract to provide accounts receivable financing. The DOT bonding assistance program enables firms to apply for a bid, performance and payment bonds up to $1,000,000 per contract. DOT provides an 80 percent guaranty on the bond amount to a surety against losses. For further information and applicable forms concerning STLP and Bonding Assistance Program, please call (800) 532-1169. Bids will be opened at 2:00 pm, local time, on April 22, 1999, at the address listed above for the office of the Division Engineer. Posted 02/22/99 (W-SN300943). (0053)

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