The City of Lowell is seeking qualified bidders to provide engineering and design services for four bridge repairs and replacements under the RAISE Grant program. Services include field investigations, survey, testing, permitting (MEPA, NEPA), design, public outreach, and construction-phase engineering. Proposals are due by April 30, 2026. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on April 9, 2026. Requests for clarification (RFIs) are due by April 16, 2026. Bidders must be prequalified by MassDOT in intermediate roadway and bridge design. The contract duration is six years, with design work ending before August 31, 2027, and construction ending by August 31, 2032. The selection will be based on a qualifications-based approach.
The deadline for submission of sealed proposals is April 30, 2026, at 11 am EST.
The document mentions that bills should be submitted in triplicate for materials and supplies furnished by the successful bidder, and payment is generally made on the twentieth day of the month, with provisions for discounts. Specific payment terms for the design services are not detailed in this excerpt.
The bidder to whom a contract is awarded guarantees to the City of Lowell all equipment, materials, and/or workmanship for a period of one year after final inspection and acceptance, and shall replace promptly any defective equipment, materials, and/or workmanship required without additional cost to the city.
Awards will be made to the lowest responsible bidder who submits a responsive bid which is most advantageous to the city. For the designer services, the selection committee will recommend a consulting firm based upon its plan of services, general qualifications of the firm, personnel and resources to be utilized, experience with similar projects, approach to project timeline, financial stability, and references.
Prospective consultants must be prequalified by MassDOT's Architects and Engineers Review Board in intermediate roadway design and intermediate bridge design as of the release date of the solicitation.
If at any time the contractor is unable to furnish material or services as ordered by the city, the city may order such material or services from such places as are available, and the contractor shall pay to the city all expense incurred above the contract price.
A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on April 9, 2026, at 10 am EST at Lowell City Hall.
The purchasing agent may require the submission of samples either before or after the award of a contract, at no charge to the city. If specifically stated elsewhere in the bid documents that samples are required, full-size samples must be submitted not later than the official bid opening.
Requests for clarification (RFIs) to, or relief from, the specifications, must be submitted in writing no later than Thursday, April 16, 2026, at 4 pm EST.
