To: Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Public Infrastructure
Staff Name and Phone Number: Johannes J. Hoevertsz, 707-565-2550
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
Award of Construction Contract for the Wohler Road Bridge over Russian River Seismic Retrofit (County Project Number C01136)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Approve the plans and specifications for the Wohler Road Bridge over Russian River Seismic Retrofit (County Project Number C01136).
B) Award the construction contract to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc., in the amount of $17,994,621.07.
C) Authorize a 10% contingency in the amount of $1,799,462.11 for a total not-to-exceed contract amount of $19,794,083.18.
D) Authorize the Director of the Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Department to execute construction contract C01136.
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Department (SPI) is requesting that the Board award a construction contract to Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc. for the seismic retrofit of the Wohler Road Bridge over Russian River. If the contract is awarded, construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024 and be completed by December 31, 2025.
Discussion:
The Wohler Road Bridge over Russian River Seismic Retrofit Project (“Project”) is the largest and most complex bridge project ever undertaken by the County of Sonoma. The bridge is located in western rural Sonoma County approximately 10 miles northwest of the City of Santa Rosa. The Project will retrofit the existing historical, seismically deficient one-lane Wohler Road Bridge (Bridge Number 20C-0155), with a new lightweight concrete deck, seismic isolation bearings and joints, steel truss reinforcement and foundation reinforcement designed to meet current seismic design standards for bridges. The seismic retrofit will allow the bridge to meet current Caltrans and American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) design criteria and mitigate risk of collapse during an earthquake. Seismically upgrading this iconic structure has required extensive environmental, geotechnical, hydraulic, and hydrologic studies, complex negotiations for utility coordination, architectural study, and planning.
This Project will be eligible to receive Federal reimbursement and must satisfy all requirements of the Federal Highway Bridge Program, including approval by Caltrans. Caltrans transmitted the Request for Authorization for construction funding to the County on September 13, 2023.
This Project was advertised for construction bids from September 27, 2023, to November 16, 2023. Bids were opened on November 16, 2023, and were received as follows:
Ghilotti Construction Company: $17,994,621.07
Golden State Bridge: $18,088,976.70
Granite Construction Company: $18,351,303.83
Myers and Sons Construction: $20,458,600.00
The Engineer’s construction cost estimate for this project was $14,705,000. The lowest bid of $17,994,621.07 is 22.4% higher than the Engineer’s Estimate. The major differences between the lowest bid and the Engineer’s Estimate were the costs of structural concrete; cast-in-drill-hole piles; temporary fiber optic removal and reinstallation; and mobilization. SPI recommends a 10% contingency of $1,799,461.11 for a total contract amount not to exceed $19,794,083.18.
The Federal Highway Bridge Program had committed to funding 100% ($16,216,253) of the cost of the participating items of construction based on the Engineer’s Estimate. Upon receiving bids in excess of currently approved funding, SPI staff prepared and submitted an application requesting an additional $4,287,015 of funding to cover the increased cost of construction on December 15, 2023 and received approval from Caltrans on January 9, 2024.
In accordance with Public Contract Code Section 20128, the contract must be awarded to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc. is experienced in performing bridge work and is a licensed contractor with a hazardous substance removal certification.
Board approval of an agreement for construction management services for the Project will be requested through a future Board item.
On November 24, 2014, the Board adopted Resolution Number 14-0481, adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program and approving the Project. Following adoption of the MND, the County modified the Project description to include additional areas required for right-of-way, utility relocations, and changes in access to in-channel piers and the construction schedule. On December 15, 2020, the Board adopted a Resolution adopting the findings of an Addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration. The Addendum found the changes that were made to the Project would not result in any of the conditions described in CEQA Guidelines § 15162 calling for the preparation of a subsequent MND.
SPI recommends awarding the Wohler Road over Russian River Seismic Retrofit Project construction contract to Ghilotti Construction Company, Inc.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Resilient Infrastructure
Goal: Goal 3: Continue to invest in critical road, bridge, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure.
Objective: Objective 4: Identify and retrofit bridges in County that are at high risk for damage during earthquakes.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
12/07/2021: Board approved Third Amendment to the agreement with Dewberry Engineers, Inc.
15/15/2020: Board adopted an Addendum to the Mitigated Negative Declaration
7/10/2018: Board approved Second Amendment to the agreement with Drake Haglan and Associates, Inc.
5/24/2016: Board approved First Amendment to the agreement with Drake Haglan and Associates, Inc.
11/24/2014: Board adopted a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Program and approved the Project
9/24/2013: Board approved agreement with Drake Haglan and Associates, Inc. for engineering design work.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY23-24 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY25-26 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$989,705 |
$8,907,336 |
$9,897,041 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$989,705 |
$8,907,336 |
$9,897,041 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
$910,133 |
$8,191,186 |
$8,108,126 |
|
Fees/Other (Seismic Retrofit Prog) |
$79,572 |
$716,150 |
$795,782 |
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$989,705 |
$8,907,336 |
$9,897,041 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 appropriations for this project are included in the Roads Capital (11051-34010103) adopted budget, and appropriations for FY 2024-25 and 2025-26 will be included in the Roads Capital Recommended budget. The estimated fiscal year breakdown of costs is detailed above, including the 10 percent contingency.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None.
Attachments:
Vicinity Map, Construction Plans, Special Provisions, Bid Book, Contract
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
Third Amendment, Second Amendment, First Amendment of contract
and Original Executed Agreement with Drake Haglan and Associates, Inc