Date:  Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Contact:
Suanne Pelley, WSDOT SR 520 Communications, 206-770-3578, (cell) 206-437-5717 (Seattle)

$586.5 million bid and proposal is apparent best value; construction will begin on Lake Washington in 2012

SEATTLE – Kiewit-General-Manson, A Joint Venture, submitted the apparent best combination of bid price and technical proposal for replacing the aging and vulnerable State Route 520 floating bridge, according to tallies calculated today by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). 

Kiewit-General-Manson’s bid price of $586.5 million for construction of a new, six-lane floating bridge is $163.5 million less than the upset price of $750 million included in the request for proposals. WSDOT staff analyzed and scored proposals from three prequalified teams vying to design and build the new bridge. Technical scores were combined with bid prices to determine the team with the apparent best value for the project.

"Replacing the aging SR 520 bridge is a critical priority for the state and an investment that will create jobs today and into the future,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “Identifying the contractor who provides the apparent best value is a major step toward constructing a safer bridge that will keep our economy moving."

WSDOT plans to award and execute this design-build contract in the coming weeks, subject to final review and acceptance of the proposal opened today. Design-build is a type of contract that combines project design and construction into a single contract. A designer and contractor join forces to submit a design and construction proposal with a fixed price.

"The bids we opened today show that we can deliver a great transportation project at a great value,” said Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond. “When complete, the new bridge will be safer, better able to withstand winter storms and provide improved commuting options for Puget Sound drivers.” Hammond went on to thank the bidding teams and noted that, “WSDOT appreciates all three teams’ investment in developing their competitive and innovative proposals. This is a great day for Washington state taxpayers."

Construction is scheduled to start on Lake Washington in 2012. WSDOT’s goal is to open the new bridge to traffic as soon as December 2014. The design-build contract includes:

• Building a six-lane floating bridge with wider, safer shoulders, a transit/HOV lane in each direction and a bicycle/pedestrian path.
• Towing 33 concrete pontoons to be built in Grays Harbor and assembling the floating bridge on Lake Washington.
• Building 44 supplemental concrete pontoons and 58 anchors.
• Building an east approach connection to the six-lane Eastside highway currently under construction and building a new maintenance facility and dock on the east shore of Lake Washington.

Kiewit-General-Manson, A Joint Venture, is one of three world-class teams that submitted bids June 8. The other two teams were Flatiron-Skanska-Traylor and 520 Corridor Constructors.

The team of Kiewit and General are experienced bridge constructors in Washington, having completed the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge. Kiewit-General is currently building pontoons in Aberdeen for the new SR 520 floating bridge. Manson Construction is experienced in heavy marine construction, and is currently working with WSDOT to replace the Manette Bridge. Kiewit-General-Manson will be supported by engineering firms KPFF and BergerABAM, both of which have a strong local presence. View more information about the team online.

Construction elsewhere on SR 520 is already under way, including improvements on the Eastside and a new pontoon casting basin in Aberdeen. WSDOT expects the first wave of pontoons for the new floating bridge to be towed out of Grays Harbor in 2012. A $367 million contract was awarded to Kiewit-General in February 2010 for the pontoon project. A $306 million contract was awarded to Eastside Corridor Constructors in November 2010 for Eastside work.

Construction of the new SR 520 floating bridge is the first stage of the I-5 to Medina: Bridge Replacement and HOV Project. WSDOT recently capped off 14 years of environmental analysis with the June publication of the final environmental impact statement, and last week’s federal approval from the Federal Highway Administration when they published the record of decision. The next step is to finalize the floating bridge construction contract, followed by obtaining the required construction permits from agencies and jurisdictions.

WSDOT will continue working with the state Legislature to identify additional funding to complete planned improvements on SR 520 from I-5 to the western end of the floating bridge. More information about the SR 520 program is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr520bridge.

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