Contract 09-2144U4

The responses to bidder's inquiries, unless incorporated into a formal addendum to the contract, are not a part of the contract and are provided for the bidder's convenience only. In some instances, the question and answer may represent a summary of the matters discussed rather than a word-for-word recitation. The availability or use of information provided in the responses to bidder's inquiries is not to be construed in any way as a waiver of the provisions of Section 2-1.03 of the Standard Specifications or any other provision of the contract, the plans, Standard Specifications or Special Provisions, nor to excuse the contractor from full compliance with those contract requirements. Bidders are cautioned that subsequent responses or contract addenda may affect or vary a response previously given.

Q1) Under the seal coat portion of this project I can not locate the amount of tonnes of PMCRS-2h emulsion under the bid items.

A1) The amount of TONNES of PMCRS-2h emulsion is 25 TONNES. An addendum will be issued to address the above item of Asphaltic Emulsion (Polymer Modified) and include an item for Sand Cover.

Q2) On plan page PDQ-1 a sentence appears below the quantities table that reads "Omit retroreflective pavement markers for detail 37". (N)-not a separate pay item for information only. This constitutes about 26 markers. The question is: Are these markers recessed?

A2) The markers are omitted from Detail 37.

Q3) How do I get the cross section plans for this project?

A3) Electronic copies of the cross sections can be obtained by contacting Kathleen Clarke at 760-872-0652 or Truman Denio at 760-872-0733.

Q4) Special_Provisions_Specific: The contractor shall schedule excavation cold planing and paving operations such that each structural section segment is completed at the end of the work period.

  • Does this refer to the area in town (stage 2/3) or the entire project?
  • Are you intending to have the entire section removed and replaced in a single work period? What constitutes a work period?
  • Can work be left open within the detoured closure?

A4) An addendum will be issued that will clarify your concerns.

Q5) I Would like to know if epoxy coated bar or wire reinforcement is required for the GT4, GDO,G1 and G4 inlets?

A5) No, the plans do not call out for epoxy coated reinforcement for the GT4, GDO, G1 and G4 inlets.

Q6) Under what item are the 13 flashing arrow signs paid for?

A6) The flashing arrow signs are considered to be paid for under the "Traffic Control System" item.

Q7) BID ITEM #51 IS LISTED AS SAND BACKFILL 26 EA, HOWEVER THE DRAINAGE QUANTITY SHEET QUANTIFIES THIS ITEM OF WORK BY THE CUBIC METER. WILL THIS ITEM BE PAID FOR BY (EA) OR (M3)?

A7) The item will be paid for by M3.

Q8)There is no item number nor is any call out for Sand Cover for the Fog Seal Item.

A8) No sand cover is required.

Q9)The specifications for the Welded Steel Pipe are in contradiction. Is the pipe to be coated and wrapped?

A9) An addendum will be issued that will clarify your concerns.

Q10) This is simliar to a previous inquiry. This appears to be specific to the full depth asphalt sections in town. If this is the case, would the .8 m requirement in section 19-5.03 " relative compaction (95 percent)" be waived?

A10) No, this requirement will not be waived.

Q11) The units on the bid schedule are shown as (EA) for bid item 51 "Sand Backfill". Please clarify the units to be (M3)instead of (EA) as shown?

A11) The item will be paid for by M3.

Q12) The Specials state that 17m of driving for Dynamic Monitoring at each Abutment locations, but the piles in Abutment 2 are only shorter than 17m. Do these piles need to be longer for the DM?

A12) The pile lengths will not be changed. The lengths for Dynamic Monitoring may be changed in the field as determined by the Engineer.

Q13) Are you allowing a second contractor set up in the Independence Pit? With the current limits of mining allowed in the Materials hand out, it does not look like you are allowing two mining, two lime plant, and two hot plant operations going on at the same time. Will the state allow a second party to setup in the pit at the same time, or is this pit only for import borrow for this job with no other materials to be produced for the job?

A13) Yes, a second contractor will be allowed in the pit. Please refer to Addendum #1 for the postponement of the BOD, also another addendum will be issued that will clarify your concerns.

Q14) The referenced plan pages pertain to vegetation control for metal beam guardrail. Under which pay item will this work fall? What is the quantity of vegetation control? There is certainly not enough information here to accurately bid the MBGR on this job, if vegetation control is to be installed.

A14) No vegetation control will be required.

Q15) Caltrans has an erosion control seed mix in this section of the spec. provisions. I have contacted all of the known seed suppliers and none have the seed available. The seed suppliers will not quote the seed as specified. Please advise which seed suppliers that the Caltrans designer checked with to assure availability of seed.

A15) S&S Seeds Inc.
PO Box 1275
Carpenteria, CA 93014-1275
Phone (805) 684-0436

Q16) With the recent addition of Addendum 2 - There is still no item # for Sand Cover for the Fog Seal Item.

A16) No sand cover is required.

Q17) This is similar and mostly a repeat of question no. #4 that wasn't addressed in addenda 2.

  1. Does the quoted portion in the "order of work" refer to the area in town (Stage 2/3) or the entire project
  2. Is it the intent to have the entire section remove and replaced in a single work period? What constitutes a work period? A work day, work week or what?
  3. If the staged plans (page 273-note 9 and page 275 note 8) limits the work to a two block limit, Why would the entire section have to be replaced in a work period (Assuming "work period" means one day) if planned staged traffic is detoured to either the east or west side.

A17) Submitted for consideration.

Q18) Both the ROD and the FONSI/DR talk about 3 processing plants, and by reference is included in the CoI notice dated 06/27/08. Assuming that the 09-214614 contractor is in the pit when this project starts, they may have 3 processing plants on the site, aggregate, lime, and a hot plant. Based on the 04/20/08 Statement of Ongoing Contracts, the present completion date is 03/27/09 for that contract. It appears that the contractor for 09-2144U4 will not be able to setup a processing facility until the spring of 2009, about six to nine months into the contract. The state would have to delay the contract work until the 09-214614 plant & pit have vacated the site and possibly the contract would have to be accepted. We do not see any changes in the Materials Handout to allow more than 3 processing plants in the pit at the same time. Correct?

A18) The pit can have two simultaneous processing operations run by separate contractors. Each can operate a combination of crushing/separating plants, asphalt batch plants with lime treatment, concrete batch plants, and associated equipment needed to support these activities.

Q19) In the BLM letter dated 06/07/07, FHWA, Letter of Consent, Item 12 talks about a maximum of 300,000 cy extracted in one year. If the 3 processing plants in the pit is modified and allows additional plants in the pit, this may be exceeded. What is the anticipated number of cubic yards to be removed from the site by the contractor for 09-214614 for the 2008 and 2009 years?

A19) The anticipated number of cubic yards to be removed from the site by the contractor for 09-214614 for the 2008 year is 130,000 cubic yards and for the 2009 year is 40,000 cubic yards.

Q20) Does the 2 sack concrete slurry fall under the same freeze thaw requirements as the rest of the concrete to be placed in this contract?

A20) No.

Q21) Concerning my previous question about number of plants allowed in the pit site spelled out in the Materials Handout- there are a possibility of 4 plants in the facility at once; aggregate, lime, rubber and hot plants. post this one or modify the other to say 4 plants and add the rubber plant to the list.

A21) Please see the response to inquiry #18.