Letters of Interest Requested for I-25/Cimarron Interchange Reconstruction Project

January 8, 2014 - Southeastern Colorado/CDOT Region 2 - Colorado Springs – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is soliciting Letters of Interest from companies or teams interested in providing Design-Build services for the reconstruction of the Interstate 25/U.S. 24-Cimarron Street Interchange project.

“The purpose of the project is to provide enhanced traffic operations and correct existing safety and design deficiencies of both the interchange and I-25,” said CDOT Resident Engineer Dave Watt. “It’ll also be designed to serve the anticipated short-term and long-term traffic demands in this area.” Total project cost is $95 million, with construction estimated between $65 and $85 million. Local funding is being provided by the City of Colorado Springs ($5 million) and El Paso County ($1 million). “CDOT has determined that Design-Build (D/B) delivery provides the best process to complete the design and construction of the project,” said Watt. “It is a method where the design and construction phases are combined into one contract.” The D/B process:

Optimizes project value
Expedites project delivery by accelerating the construction schedule
Recognizes contractor innovation
Efficiently manages existing resources

Prioritized goals for the project include:

Maximizing overall safety, capacity and operation of the interchange and the surrounding transportation network within the project budge
Completing construction to allow the interchange to be fully operational by July 1, 2017
Minimizing impacts and inconvenience to the community, motorists, businesses, downtown and the public during construction
Achieving an aesthetically-pleasing design compatible with current and future amenities and enhancements in and around the interchange

Procurement Process: A Request for Letters of Interest have been distributed to the design and contractor community and posted to the CDOT website:
http://www.coloradodot.info/business/bidding/documents/Ad%20folder/im-0252-423-loi. Request for Qualifications will only be sent to those companies or teams that submit Letters of Interest. After evaluation of the Statement of Qualifications from prospective D/B teams, CDOT will establish a short list of eligible teams. A Request for Proposals (RFP) then will be sent to those teams, and submittals will be evaluated using “best-value” criteria. The RFP will include a conceptual design and will encourage innovation from the private sector to maximize project goals.

A contract award is anticipated by the end of 2014. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2015, with traffic in its final configuration by July 2017. D/B contractors have the opportunity to submit enhanced schedules as part of their proposals. “Interacting and communicating with stakeholders and the public for the project began in October and will continue throughout the procurement and the design/construction process,” added Watt.# # #Project limits: The planned upgrades include rebuilding the I-25 interchange between Colorado Avenue on the north and South Nevada Avenue to the south. The U.S. 24 project boundaries are between 8^th Street on the west and the Union Pacific-BNSF railroads joint line/Cimarron Street Bridge to the east. PLEASE NOTE: This project does not include the reconstruction of the U.S. 24/8^th Street intersection. That project is independent and will follow the reconstruction of the I-25/Cimarron interchange. In addition, no funding source has been identified and no timeline has been established for U.S. 24/8^th Street. The I-25/Cimarron Interchange reconstruction project includes:

Reconstructing I-25 to provide improved highway alignment and improved ramps and acceleration and deceleration lanes and shoulders, for better operations and safety on I-25
Reconstructing I-25 bridge structures
Enhancing interchange traffic flow and safety operations
Providing better trail connections, improved water quality, and aesthetic enhancements.