CALTRANS NEWS
In This Issue...• Director's Corner • News • CTF Update • CTF Update • Health & Wellness • Exams & Recruitment • Retirements • Hats Off • Archived Newsletters |
New Bay Bridge SAS Bids Opened
The Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee (TBPOC) consisting of Caltrans, the Bay Area Toll Authority and the California Transportation Commission opened bids on March 22 for the Self Anchored Suspension (SAS) Bridge contract for the new Bay Bridge.
 |
Artist's rendering of the Self Anchored Suspension Bridge. |
The apparent low bidder is American Bridge/Fluor Enterprises a Joint Venture, which presented a bid for $1.43 billion. Two bids were submitted, including a $1.68 billion bid by Kiewit/Koch Skanska/Manson a Joint Venture.
Caltrans Director Will Kempton said, “This is great news for the Bay Area and the State of California. We can now move to get a safe bridge in place as quickly as possible.”
Since the contract was advertised in August 2005, the TBPOC has worked closely with the construction industry to identify and implement key contract enhancements to the SAS in order to improve competitive bidding. Amendments included extending the bid advertisement period, extending the contract by one year, and enhancing incentives for contractor cost reduction. Three contractor outreach meetings were held, culminating in more than 340 bidder inquiries.
The Caltrans engineer’s estimate for the SAS is $1.45 billion. The TBPOC has made efforts to reduce costs on the SAS contract, although construction and market factors influence the cost. Rising bonding and insurance costs, increased labor prices, and worldwide demand for construction equipment are factors. Hurricanes, shipping costs and the construction labor force have also had a significant impact.
“Today is a great day for our region. We’re one step closer to seismic safety and a brand new bridge,” said Steve Heminger, BATA Executive Director.
“It is an historic day for transportation in California,” said John Barna, Executive Director for the California Transportation Commission.
The review process will begin immediately, assessing the bids for responsiveness. The contract award is anticipated in late April. The SAS is expected to be open to vehicle traffic in late 2013. Contractor incentives can potentially shorten the overall project construction up to six months.