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Consider bid award in the amount of $603,600 to HDR of the Carolinas for engineering and design services for the Celriver Road Widening (SC 161) project.
(Strategic Goal: Concentrate on infrastructure improvements and repair in the City - extending out from the urban core; Support the zoning and development of additional land for economic development uses including the former Celanese site and Antrim/US 21 S. properties.)
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This project consists of widening approximately 1 mile of Celriver Road from Cherry Road to Eden Terrace. The design firm will furnish the resources necessary to provide project planning, construction drawings, right of way services, permits, bid documents, environmental studies and construction supervision.
The project will transform the existing 2-lane rural facility into a multilane urban thoroughfare beginning at its intersection with Cherry Road to approximately 0.4 miles south of Eden Terrace. The proposed typical section will be 5 lanes (two 12-foot travel lanes in each direction and a 15-foot median two-way-left-turn-lane or planted median), 4-foot bike lanes, 2-foot curb and gutter, 5-foot planting strips and 5-foot sidewalks.
The project will be designed in accordance with SCDOT and FHWA guidelines to ensure compliance with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding which the City of Rock Hill intends to pursue in early 2010. This project was selected as a candidate for recaptured stimulus funds at the encouragement of SCDOT and RFATS. It is imperative that the project be “shovel ready” by January, 2010 to qualify for any additional ARRA funding SCDOT may receive. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining ARRA funds this project would be given priority on the next Pennies-for-Progress construction schedule.
The plan is to temporarily fund the design work from the Red River TIF and then to reimburse the TIF fund from a Riverwalk TIF bond that will be issued this fall.
A request for qualified design firms interested in providing these services was advertized regionally and fourteen (14) firms responded with proposals. Four of these firms were short listed and asked to submit preliminary fee structure and design schedule details. After evaluation by a team of CRH staff members, HDR of the Carolinas was selected as the most responsive bidder based on the depth of their design resources, familiarity and volume of work with SCDOT, and the strength of their in-house technical competence. Negotiations began immediately after their selection on a financial agreement that falls within the projected budget.
It is recommended that council award the design and engineering of the Celriver Road Widening project to HDR of the Carolinas in the amount of $603,600.