Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= THE "NOTICE TO BIDDERS" has the bid date at January 20, 2010

Question= THE WEB SITE has the bid date at January 26, 2010. MAKE UP YOUR MIND.

• Website has been revised.
   

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Plan Pages H1, H3, H5-H7, H9, H10, T56-T59 referenced in the standard plans list in the specifications

Question= The specifications reference plan pages  H1, H3, H5-H7, H9, H10, T56-T59 and they do not seem to be included anywhere in the plan set. Where can I find these plans?

• The project plan set only includes Revised Standard Plans (RSP) and New Standard Plans (NSP).  All of the other Standard Plans - including plan pages H1, H3, H5-H7, H9, H10, and T56-T59 - can be found in the 2004 Metric Standard plans at this link:
    http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/esc/oe/project_plans/highway_plans/stdplans_metric_04/viewable_pdf/04stdpln.pdf

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Contract plan sheets G-6 and G-7

Question= There is no drainage profile for drain system #5. Please advise.

• Refer to plan sheet DP-3 for the profile of drainage system #5.

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Item 55, Roadway Excavation, Special Provisions section 10-1.31 "EXISTING HIGHWAY FACILITIES". Subsection "Project Conditions" states: "1. Is not a hazardouse waste. and 2. Does not require disposal at a permitted landfill or solid wast disposal facility". and, finally: "Detectable lead is present in earth material in unpaved areas of the highway. Project specific lead levels will be provided prior to excavation."

Question= The last sentence of the quoted subsection states that you will provide information that you seem to recognize is important information relative to the excavation operation but you expect the bidders to commit to a firm bid price at bid time without this important information. This seems illogical at best, unfair at least, and possibly illegal.
Also, if the statments excerpted from the speifications above are true regarding non-hazardous nature of the earth material and the lack of any requirement for disposal at a permitted landfill, why are the statements in a succeeding subsection "Construction" regarding conformance to the laws, rules, and regulations of such agencies as the "CA Department of Toxic Substances Control", and disposal of earth material in a Class III or Class II permitted landfill appropriate?
Further, in most, if not all, previous contracts involving lead contamintated earth material that we have bid, Caltrans has provided a bid item specifically dedicated to the prosecution of that work with an estimated quantity of such material the bidder might anticipate encountering in the prosecution of the work covered under the contract. In this case, Caltrans has evaded the issue and failed to provide any information relative to what portion of the quantity of contract item 55, "Roadway Excavation" 47,300 M3 might contain what levels of detectable lead and therefore might be subject to some unknown level of regulations regarding some undetermined kind of special handling. Please provide whatever information pertaining this subject that you have in your possession.

•  Your inquiry has been received and is being reviewed. Thank you for your patience
• Please refer to Addendum #1
  

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Item #80 - Fog Seal, Note 3, Contract Plan Sheet X-1

Question= Note 3 on sheet X-1 directs the contractor to fog seal all HMA surfaces except traveled ways and detours. Does Caltrans consider the proposed HMA surface beneath the proposed PCCP a traveled way? Will the contractor be required to fog seal this proposed HMA surface? Thank you.

• The contractor will not be required to fog seal the HMA surface beneath the proposed PCCP. Please refer to section 1-4.02 GLOSSARY of the Amendments for the definition of Surface (surfacing) of the Special Provisions.

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Special Provisions Section 5-1.15 NOISE CONTROL

Question= Section 5-5.15 NOISE CONTROL of the Special Provisions states "Do not operate construction equipment or run the equipment engines from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. or on Sundays except you may operate equipment within the project limits to:
1. Service traffic control facilities
2. Service construction equipment

Since a significant amount of work must be performed during night time hours as mandated by the traffic control charts, how are we to perform this work without operating or running equipment?

•  Your inquiry has been received and is being reviewed. Thank you for your patience
• Please refer to Addendum #1

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Item #53, Clearing and Grubbing, Special Provision Section 10-1.01 'Order of Work'

Question=Per Section 10-1.01 of the special provisions, the contractor must mow the vegetation and remove the existing trees before the bird nesting begins 2/1/11.  However, the project bids 1/20/11.  By the time the contract is awarded, and the contract returned, the 2/1/11 deadline will have passed.  Per the special provisions, this nesting season lasts until 8/31/11.  It is the intention of the State to not allow construction on the project to begin until 9/1/11?

•  No, the intent is begin construction after approval of the contract.  On 01/04/2011, a separate Chain and Mow contract started to remove nesting habitat within the project limits per the requirements of Section 10-1.32 CLEARING AND GRUBBING.   This initial chaining and mowing contract should be completed prior to 2/1/11.  However, if the vegetation grows on the project site during the 11-091834 contract, the contractor will perform any additional chaining and mowing as required per Section 10-1.32 CLEARING AND GRUBBING of the special provisions.
  

Plan Sheet / Specification Reference= Specal Provision page 193 paragraph #2

•  Your inquiry has been received and is being reviewed. Thank you for your patience
• Please refer to Addendum #1

Question= This section seems contradictory in two ways: 1. The method is specified (tracked equipment run perpendicular to the slope contours) as well as the result: (relative compaction between 82 percent and 90 percent); and, 2. The method and degree of compaction is specified at 82 to 90 percent in this section, but reference is made to the section (19-5) of the standards as "except as otherwise specified in Section 19-5...". What does that mean? Please clarify.

• 1.- Please bid per the current contract documents.
  2.- Section 19-5, subsection 19-5.03 specifies those areas where a higher Relative Compaction must be achieved. Please refer to that section and see if it applies to the project.
  

Question= There is no contract item for "fiber optic communication system". Please clarify.
 

• Please refer to Addendum #1

Question= The quantities for bid item 85 Concrete Pavement seem to be incorrect, could you please double check.
 

• Please bid per the current contract documents.

Question= Typical cross section on sheet X-4 shows the existing travel way for line SD-905 EB and WB at Station 116+65 to 122+00 to be section 3 (existing - .213 mm PCC, .137 CTB, .259 AS).  However according to the Layouts, L3-L5, the existing travel way is labeled as ASPHALT?
 

• Please bid per the current contract documents.

Question= Section 10-1.35, SLOPE REPAIR, states that the slope repair effort will involve adding embankment to the existing site condition and grading to a uniform slope line. Section 10-1.45, IMPORTED TOPSOIL, describes spreading in lifts and track walking, with no mention of the finished surface. Plan Sheet C-4, CONSTRUCTION DETAILS, provides a typical section depicting a 0.900 M layer of imported topsoil and a 0.150 M layer of compost below FG (finish grade).  A site visit, as well as the cross sections, indicate that there would be approximately 3500 cubic meters of embankment required as part of the "SLOPE REPAIR" to bring the site to finish grade.  However, if Plan Sheet C-4 governs, approximately 6500 cubic meters must be excavated and exported off site to allow space for the 9880 cubic meters of topsoil and 1545 cubic meters of compost below finish grade. PLEASE CLARIFY
 

• Please bid per the current contract documents.

Question= Could the Bid Date be postponed one week?  

• No.

Question= The bid item list shows chain lik gates item # 133 the plan sheets show chain link fencing but no bid item is the fence existing
 

• It is existing fence. Please refer to section 10-1.87 "CHAIN LINK WALK GATE" of the special provisions and the project plans.

Question= The answer to the original question leaves doubt as to your full meaning. The original question #7, addressed specification provisions that require vegetation mowing and tree removal and the answer to #7 only addressed chaining and mowing. No mention was made regarding the 36 trees shown to be removed on PLANT REMOVAL PLANS (PR-1 & PR-2, nor the smaller but still substantial trees and brush along route 805 between station 40+00 and 52+00 on the right side.
What portion of the CLEARING AND GRUBBING will be done under a separate contract prior to the commencement of the 11-091834 contract?
What portion of the CLEARING AND GRUBBING will be done by the 11-091834 contractor under the 11-091834 contract item 53, "CLEARING AND GRUBBING"?

• The trees to be removed on PLANT REMOVAL plans PR-1 (194) and PR- 2 (195) are not included in the separate CHAIN AND MOW contract.
• For the entire limits of CLEARING AND GRUBBING the separate CHAIN AND MOW contract will perform portions of the work defined in paragraph 3 of Section 10-1.32 CLEARING AND GRUBBING of the Contract Special Provisions. Trees will be cut at 600 mm and not completely removed, organic debris resulting from mowing or cutting will be left and shall be removed by the 11-091834 Contractor.
• For Item 53: CLEARING AND GRUBBING the remaining work shall be to meet the full requirements as defined in the Contract Special Provisions and the Section 16 of the Standard Specifications.

Question= It is apparent that the Bridge currently staged to be completed in Stage 3A can be built in Stage 1A thereby significantly reducing the number of working days required to complete the project. Will the contractor be allowed to work out of stage per paragraph 10 and reduce the number of days bid at BID TIME or will the contractor be required to provide all items required in paragraph 11 including cost saving (Both Money & Time) and be subject to the Engineers approval? This is a critical question due to the A+B nature of the this bid.
 

• There is no conflict in paragraphs 10th and 11th. Please bid per the current contract documents.
  The contractor is welcomed to submit a staging proposal to reduce the number of working days and must be approved by the Engineer if it meets the requirements described in the special provisions.
  

Question= Is there a location within the Caltrans Right of Way that the export material can be taken?
 

• No

Question= Was the pricing for the irrigation controller SAT '63B' mistakenly left out on sheet 247 of the Special Provisions under Section 10-2? If so please provide the pricing required.
 

• Please bid per the current contract documents.

Question= 1. Does the removal of the slope paving fall under this section?
2. Where is the information on the "Broken Concrete Slope Protection"?

• 1)Yes, Slope paving removal falls under Section 10-1.31 "Existing Highway Facilities" Subsection "Bridge Removal"
  2) There is no contract item for "Broken Concrete Slope Protection." Bid per current contract documents.
  

Question= What is this line item for? There is no Plant group "R" in the planting legend and plan and I can't locate it in the bid document? Please clarify.

• Please bid per the current contract documents.

Question= Please clarify where to locate the landscape work for the proposed Planting Plant (Group R) under line item 159 of the Addendum Bid Item List.

• Please bid per the current contract documents.