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

Y -- NORTH CAROLINA FOREST HIGHWAY PROJECT NC PFH 18-2(2) SOL DTFH71-99-B-00002 DUE 120898 POC Engineering Coordinator, Gary L. Brown 703-285-0075. Sealed bids from all business concerns will be accepted for the North Carolina Forest Highway Project NC PFH 18-2(2), Pisgah National Forest, in Buncombe County, North Carolina. The project, located along North Carolina Route 197, consists of replacing the existing bridge over Straight Creek with a structural plate pipe arch. The work also includes grading, paving, drainage improvements, guardrail installation, and other miscellaneous work. Principal items of work and approximate quantities are as follows: Unclassified excavation, 1,750 m3; 7200 x 2550 mm C.S. Structural plate pipe arch, 4.77 mm thick, 14 m; Aggregate base course, Type A, 650 t; Asphalt concrete binder course, Type H, 105 ton; Asphalt concrete surface course, Type I-1, 84 ton; Concrete endwalls, Class A concrete, 24 m3; Class A concrete, 45 m3. The project is expected to fall within the price range of $100,000 to $500,000. Invitation for Bids No. DTFH71-99-B-00002 to be issued on or about November 6, 1998. Plans, proposal and contract booklets, standard specifications, and other bid documents, will be available on or after the issuance date, from the Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia 20166-6511, telephone: 800-892-8776, at no charge to bidders, subcontractors, and suppliers. Please call 703-285-0006 to verify availability of the bid documents. All requests for bid documents and planholder's lists will be mailed first class. It is strongly recommended that all requests for bid documents and planholder's lists be received 7 calendar days before bid opening to ensure receipt of requested materials. Requests for 'faxing' or overnight mailing will not be accepted. The following applies to Minority, Women-Owned 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 in acquiring 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 to provide accounts receivable financing. The DOT Bonding Assistance Program enables firms to apply for 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 the STLP and Bonding Assistance Program, please call (800) 532-1169. Bids will be opened on or about December 8, 1998 at 10:00 am, local time, at the at the address listed above for the Office of the Division Engineer. Posted 10/20/98 (W-SN263545). (0293)

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