NNEPRA, 5 Industry Road, S. Portland, Maine 04106

Y -- TIMBER RAILROAD BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WITH STEEL STRINGER BRIDGE SOL Bridge Contract 05-99 DUE 042700 POC Wally Mosher (Engineer of Record) at VHB (Issuing Office) ph 603-644-0888 E-MAIL: Contact Engineer of Record via E-mail, wmosher@vhb.com. INVITATION FOR BIDS The Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority (hereinafter referred to as "NNEPRA") of South Portland, Maine requests submission of bids from qualified contractors for the replacement of a railroad bridge in accordance with the plans and specifications, Restoration of Passenger Rail Service Plaistow, NH to Portland, ME: Bridge Contract 05-99 Newmarket Ponds Bridge Replacement. The following bridge is owned by Boston & Maine Corporation (alternatively identified as Maine Central Railroad Co., Springfield Terminal Railway Co., or Guilford Rail System (hereinafter referred to as "GRS")) of North Billerica, Massachusetts, and is scheduled for work under this contract. Bridge No. 58.01 M.P. 252.99 Newmarket Ponds in Newmarket, NH The work of this contract includes removal of the active-track half of the existing timber superstructure and timber pile bent piers and abutments, and construction of new steel pile bent piers and abutments and a steel beam superstructure. The length of the new three-span bridge is 69 feet from centerline to centerline of bearings at abutments. The work includes, but is not limited to: removal and proper disposal of the existing active-track half of the ballasted timber deck, timber stringers, timber pile caps, timber piles and a portion of the timber abutments; installation of abutment and pier steel piles; construction of cast-in-place reinforced concrete abutment pile caps, bearing seats, backwalls and wingwalls; construction of cast-in-place reinforced concrete pier pile caps; installation of elastomeric bearings; and construction of a new steel superstructure consisting of steel wide flange beam stringers and diaphragms. A new open timber deck will be constructed on the new bridge by GRS. All requests for bid documents, and any correspondence or questions, should be directed to the Engineer of Record at the Issuing Office: Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) ATTN: Wallace M. Mosher, P.E. or Timothy S. Bryant, P.E. Six Bedford Farms, Suite 607 KiltonRoad Bedford, NH 03110-6532 Telephone: (603) 644-0888 FAX: (603) 644-2385 Bid Documents will be available from the Issuing Office, VHB, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Thursday April 6, 2000 for a nonrefundable fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) per set, payable by check to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority. Bid Documents may be obtained in person between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Prevailing Local Time, Monday through Friday, or by mail. The $30.00 fee per set of Bid Documents includes delivery by U.S. mail. Requests for Bid Documents must include: company name, mailing address, street address, telephone number, FAX number, and the name and title of contact person. Bid Documents will not be delivered to any Bidder until payment is received. Sealed bids will be received by Mr. Michael J. Murray, P.E., Executive Director, at the office of the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority: Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority 5 Industry Road South Portland, ME 04106-6154 Telephone: (207) 780-1000 FAX:(207) 780-1001 Sealed bids will be received until 2:00 p.m., Prevailing Local Time, Thursday, April 27, 2000 at which time they will be publicly opened and announced. Any bid received thereafter will not be considered for award and will be returned to the bidder unopened. Bid security shall be required as called for in the Instructions to Bidders, in the form of a Bid Bond in the amount of 5% of the Bid Price. Requests for clarification or for extension of the bid opening must be submitted, via fax, a minimum of seventy-two (72) hours prior to the bid opening date. The NNEPRA reserves the right to determine whether an extension is justified. All Bidders will be notified in writing, via fax, of any extension or clarification. A non-mandatory Pre-bid Conference, including a site visit to the bridge, will be held beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 12, 2000. All Bidders and representatives of OWNER, GRS, and ENGINEER will meet on GRS property at the at-grade crossing located on Elm Street, in Newmarket NH. The bridge is located on private property owned by GRS. Bidders will be asked to leave their vehicles at the crossing and will be required to walk adjacent to and on an active railroad to reach the bridge. GRS will be present at the conference and will provide a Railroad Flagman qualified in Roadway Worker Safety (RWS). Each Bidder will be required to read and sign the GRS RWS requirements for contractors prior to entry on the railroad property. Each Bidder must provide a hard hat and safety glasses and will be required to wear them while on railroad property. Each Bidder will be limited to one (1) attendee at the Pre-bid Conference. All Bidders planning to attend the Pre-bid Conference shall notify the Engineer of Record at the Issuing Office via telephone or fax before 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 11, 2000. Issuance of the Invitation for Bids does not commit the NNEPRA to award any contract, to pay any costs incurred in preparation of a bid pursuant to this request, or to procure or contract for services or supplies. NNEPRA reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to re-advertise. As an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, NNEPRA prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, marital status, national origin, being handicapped, a disadvantaged person, or a disabled or Vietnam era veteran in all terms and conditions of contracting. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE) shall have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in this project. The extent of Disadvantaged business involvement shall be as specified in the MAINE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DBE) REQUIREMENTS. No officer, member, or employee of NNEPRA, and no members of its governing body, and no other public official or employee of the governing body of the locality or localities included within NNEPRA, (for governing bodies, only as to contracts performed within the locality of such governing body), during his or her tenure or for one year thereafter, shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in this solicitation or any contract executed subsequently, or the proceeds thereof. Michael J. Murray, P.E. Executive Director NNEPRA South Portland, Maine March 31, 2000 Posted 03/31/00 (W-SN440004). (0091)

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