Federal Highway Administration, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166

Y -- NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY PROJECT NPS-NATR 3P14 SOL DTFH71-98-B-00023 DUE 090198 POC Engineering Coordinator, Gary L. Brown, 703-285-0075. Contracting Officer, Mary W. Daigle This project is being procured for competition restricted to those 8(a)program participants serviced by the U.S. Small Business Administration's SBA district offices in Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, SC; Jackson, MS; Louisville, KY; all Florida offices; and Nashville, TN. Contact the SBA district office to determine eligibility. Sealed bids from all eligible business concerns will be accepted for the Natchez Trace Parkway Project NPS-NATR 3P14, in Madison County, Hinds County, and the City of Ridgeland, Mississippi. The project consists of the construction of the Natchez Trace Parkway bridges over U.S. Route 49 and Highland Colony Parkway, and related bridge approach work. Principal items of work and approximate quantities are as follows: Embankment construction, 13,000 m3; Precast prestressed concrete piles, 355 mm x 355 mm, in place, 3,500 m; Structural concrete, Class A(AE), 1,000 m3; Structural Concrete, Class D(AE), 800 m3; Prestressing system, LPSM; Epoxy coated reinforcingsteel, 150,000 kg; Concrete bridge railing, Natchez Trace Rail, 550 m; Concrete slope paving, 900 m2. The project is expected to fall in the price range of $1,000,000 to $5,000,000. Invitation for Bids No. DTFH71-98-B-00023 to be issued on or about July 30, 1998. Plans, proposal and contract booklets, standard specifications, and other bid documents, will be available on or after the issuance date from the Federal Highway Administration, Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division, 21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, Virginia 20166-6511, Telephone 800-892-8776, at no charge to bidders, subcontractors, and suppliers. Please call 703-285-0006 to verify availibility of the bid documents. All requests for bid documents and planholders' lists will be mailed first class. It is strongly recommended that all requests for bid documents and planholders' list be received 7 calendar days before bid opening to ensure receipt of requested materials. Requests for 'faxing' or overnight mailing will not be accepted. Bids will be opened on September 1, 1998, at 2:00 pm local time, at the address listed above for the Office of the Division Engineer. The following applies to Minority, Women-Owned and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises: The Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Utilization has bonding programs to assist minority, women-owned and disadvantaged business enterprises in acquiring short-term capital and bonding assistance for transportation related contracts. Loans are available under the DOT Short Term Lending Program (STLP) at prime interest rates up to $500,000 to provide accounts receivable financing. The DOT Bonding Assistance Program enables firms to apply for bid, performance and payment bonds up to $1,000,000 per contract. DOT provides an 80 percent guaranty on the bond amount to a surety against losses. For further information and applicable forms concerning the STLP and Bonding Assistance Program, please call 800-532-1169. Posted 07/13/98 (W-SN222201). (0194)

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