Recommendation

Staff recommends award of RFP #55-10, Design/Build Services Contract for material and labor to remove and dispose of the existing Lakewood Pedestrian Bridge and design, furnish, and install a new, prefabricated pedestrian bridge over Wootton Parkway to Fort Myer Construction Corporation, in the amount of $537,650, which includes an optional amount to construct ADA compliant access.

Discussion
The Lakewood Pedestrian Bridge was closed on February 3, 2010 based on an inspection revealing several deteriorated structural members. A comprehensive hands-on inspection was completed in March with a final report issued on April 7, 2010. Due to the poor condition of the bridge, staff recommends replacing the bridge “superstructure” (structural beams, deck, railing, and fencing).

The Lakewood Pedestrian Bridge is located over Wootton Parkway between Keynes Lane and Lindley Terrace and connects Glenmore Terrace and Lakewood Elementary School. The bridge was originally constructed in 1973 as a weathering-steel truss structure with a concrete deck. Since that time it has undergone maintenance and rehabilitation including the replacement of the concrete deck with a timber deck. The bridge is approximately 111 feet long with an eight-foot wide timber deck, railing, and barrier fencing. The approaches were constructed prior to the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The northeast access to the bridge from Glenmore Terrace has four stairs and is not ADA compliant. The southwest access from Lakewood Elementary School is “on-grade” and requires minimal modifications to attain ADA compliance.

Staff has analyzed the inspection report and recommendations received from two consultants. Staff has determined that a full bridge replacement with a prefabricated weathering-steel bridge is the most cost-effective, long term means of restoring the pedestrian link. Rehabilitation of the failing structural steel members also was considered. It was determined that the minimal benefit of extending the service life approximately 10-15 years was not cost effective and therefore, bridge rehabilitation was not selected. The new bridge has an estimated service life of approximately 40-50 years. Staff anticipates using the existing concrete abutments based on their overall rating of “good” from the Lakewood Pedestrian Bridge Inspection Report dated April 7, 2010. The cost includes a geo-technical analysis of the soil at the abutments to confirm its sufficiency to support the new bridge.

The new bridge will be installed after the existing bridge is removed. The prefabricated bridge will have a “bowstring” silhouette and the bridge’s deck will be constructed with dense, long lasting and insect resistant hardwood. A black, vinyl-coated fence will be attached to the bridge, which will provide a barrier for safety purposes and keep debris from falling onto the road surface below. The project also includes the construction of a new access on the northeast approach and minor modifications at the southwest (Lakewood Elementary School side) approach in order to achieve ADA compliance.

It will be necessary to implement lane closures of Wootton Parkway to facilitate bridge removal and installation and to establish a safe work zone. Two separate events are anticipated. Each event will also require a full road closure of less than an hour. The pedestrian path under the bridge also will be temporarily closed during specific limited construction activities.

Mayor and Council History
The Mayor and Council were briefed on the need to replace the Lakewood Bridge during the May 4, 2010 Public Works Budget Worksession.

Public Notification and Engagement
Outreach with residents and the Lakewood Elementary School staff has been conducted through Rockville Reports, News Releases on the City's Web site, direct communications with City staff including Neighborhood Resources and staff presentation at the Rockshire HOA meeting of June 3, 2010. Advisories will be issued as appropriate during the demolition and construction stages of the project, which are expected to occur through the summer 2010. Staff also is working closely with Lakewood Elementary School in the event transportation needs to be arranged for students when the school year commences on August 30, 2010.

Procurement Information
Design/build, versus the traditional design/bid/build process was selected for this project because it offers a time saving process, improved risk management and cost savings. The ability to meet the bridge opening date of August 29, 2010, or as close to date that as possible, was included in the evaluation criterion.

Staff developed publicly advertised RFP #55-10, Lakewood Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Design/Build Services, in accordance with the City of Rockville Purchasing Ordinance Section 17-62. The RFP was solicited using e-Maryland Marketplace, which is the State of Maryland's e-procurement system. The RFP was also advertised on the City's website. The following bid was received:

Fort Myer Construction Corporation Washington, DC $624,918

The Fort Myer Construction Corporation Team includes Greenhorne & O' Mara, Inc. (Engineering Consultant) and Schnabel Engineering (Geo-technical Consultant).

An Evaluation Committee consisting of City Staff from the Public Works Department and the Purchasing Division reviewed and evaluated the proposal based on the following criteria: understanding of the project, technical qualifications, previous experience, and ability to meet the project schedule. Staff subsequently submitted clarification questions to Fort Myer Construction Corporation and checked references which were found to be acceptable to the Committee. Staff has also worked successfully with Greenhorne & O'Mara and Schnabel Engineering on other bridge projects. Staff engaged Fort Myer in negotiations and successfully reduced the proposal pricing. Barring unanticipated conditions, the project schedule meets the desire to have the bridge open by the first day of school.

Fiscal Impact

There is sufficient funding available in the Adopted FY 2011 CIP Project, Bridge Rehabilitation (project #380/420-850-8L11).

Next Steps
The Purchasing Division will issue a contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation.

Department Head:



Craig Simoneau, P.E.; , Director of Public Works
Approved on: 06/16/2010

City Manager:

Scott Ullery, City Manager
Approved on: 06/16/2010