Request for Proposals - Jones Lake Road Deactivation Projects - EN10V2H-401

Questions and Answers - The following questions and their answers are provided to give clarification to all proponents regarding certain aspects of this Request for Proposals.

Q. What are the bid bond requirements for the project
A. Bid Security is not required for this project

Q.  Who will supply security on the project site if needed?
A.  It is the responsibility of the proponent to assess the need for security personnel to ensure that vandalism and theft does not occur at the project site.  The proponent is advised to consider this cost in the Tender Offer Form.

Q. Are the landings and road sections that are over P9 considered hourly in their entirety? (length width depth)
A. Road re-activation will be under the hourly rate schedule. Once roads are re-activated deactivation on a specific road section will take place either under the unit price rate schedule up to and including P9 heavy pullback or hourly rates for pullback greater than P9 on average. It will either be one or the other but not both for a specific section of road, a proponent cannot bill for both unit price and hourly deactivation rates on the same section of road.     

Questions and Answers from the site viewing:

 1.      Q – Can the pictures that were shown in the presentation be posted on the BC Bid site?

A—They will be posted on the questions and answers website. PICTURES

 2.      Q—What will be done with the metal culverts that are removed?

A—The contractor will be responsible to haul the culverts down to the junction of Br. 1311 and the Jones Lakes Forest Service Road where the Ministry of Forest will then be responsible for their disposal.

3.      Q—Who will pay for the powder for the drilling and blasting phase?

A—The Ministry of Forests will pay for the powder and will be billed separately from the hourly rates for drilling.

 4.      Q—What do you want done with the wooden culverts?

A—Wooden culverts should be disposed of onsite as part of the deactivation phase. The prescribing engineer will give specific details.

 5.      Q—What will happen if the prescription for the “No Pullback Deactivation” requires more cross ditches?

A—If there are more cross ditches required than the prescription has called for on the linear meter No Pullback Deactivation, the contractor and the Ministry representative will negotiate a rate for additional crossing ditching required. 

6.      Q—In the reactivation phase of the road will the roads have to be pick-up accessible?

A—Yes, there will be a need for the safe transportation of injured workers and for other servicing requirements.   However, short spur road may not require the same level of access as the main road, but as the Prime Contractor on the site, WorksafeBC should be consulted on their requirements regarding worker safety. 

  7.      Q—Does the contractor have to supply an environmental monitor on sites?

A—This is a preferred qualification but not a minimum requirement.  The proponent’s proposal submission must meet the minimum requirements to be considered as stated in Part B (5).  Preferred qualifications are those which are desirable but not essential, however proponents with preferred qualifications will be allotted more evaluation points than those not having them.

 8.      Q—How will the Ministry evaluate the various different machine brand and types that will be submitted on the Tender Offer Form.

A—The ministry has shown on the Tender Offer Form – Tender Price Schedule the Blue Book definition for the equipment to be used by category.

 9.      Q—Are the existing roads wide enough for machines to work on?

A—For the most part the existing roads are accessible for machines, however there will be places where the road must be widened.

 10.  Q--Will there be any end hauling?

A—There has not been any end hauling prescribed on the deactivation phase of this project.  However the contractor may decide to end haul to improve efficiencies of the operation.  This is the contractor’s decision and would not be reimbursable.

11.  Q-- When is the project expected to start?

A—The expectation is that the project would start at the beginning of August and end in late October (according to the schedule laid out in the RFP) depending on the weather conditions at the time. 

 12.  Q-- Who is the Prime Contractor for the site?

A—The successful proponent will be the Prime Contractor of all WorkSafeBC requirements.  All Ministry of Forests employees and other contractors on site will be the responsibility of the Prime Contractor.

 13.  Q—Can machines be taken off of the site to do other contracts?

A—It will be up to the contractor to meet the obligations of the timing window for this contract. 

 14.  Q—How long will it take to reactivate all of the roads?

A—The Ministry estimates that it should take about one month to reactivate the road system, but it will be up to the contractor to determine the amount of reactivation and deactivation time required to meet the work schedule with the object of full completion as stated in the RFP package (October 23, 2009).