Cheat River Rail-Trail – Phase II

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Sealed Bids for the construction of the Cheat River Trail – Phase II will be received by Friends of the Cheat located at 1343 North Preston Highway, Kingwood, West Virginia until Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM local time, at which time all proposals which have been submitted in accordance with the conditions of this project will be publicly opened and read aloud. The Project consists of furnishing labor and materials and performing all work set forth in the Advertisement for Bids, Information for Bidders, Bid and Bid Schedule (Bid Form including Unit Price Basis of Bid), General Conditions, Supplementary Conditions, Specifications Special Conditions, West Virginia Division of Highways Technical Specifications (2023, Supplemented 2024), and Plans (Drawings) prepared by Potesta & Associates, Inc., and all addenda issued prior to receipt of Bids.

The Work to be bid upon is generally described as follows:

  • Construction of approximately 5.4 miles of Rail-Trail.
  • Installation of approximately 1,465 linear feet of culvert pipe ranging 15-inch through 36-inch.
  • Shaping/cleaning of ditches and shoulders for 5.4 miles of Rail Trail.
  • Improvements to four (4) existing rail bridges.
  • Installation of aggregate ballast repair in select areas.
  • Installation of separation fabric, aggregate base course, and aggregate top course for surfacing of the 5.4 miles of Rail-Trail.
  • Installation of controlled access gates, signage, bollards, and trail appurtenances.
  • Clearing/grubbing.
  • Excavation/earthwork associated with slip repairs.
    Restoration Work – Seeding, mulching, disposal of trash/debris.

Prospective Bidders are advised that the contract awarded under this bid is to be funded in whole or in part by the Friends of Cheat and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection – Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program.

Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a unit price basis. The Contractor will be charged liquidated damages for delays in completion time.

The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is Potesta & Associates, Inc. located at 7012 MacCorkle Avenue, SE, Charleston, West Virginia 25304. Please contact Charlene Armstead at (304) 342-1400 or clracer@potesta.com to purchase Bidding Documents. Bidding Documents will be released upon payment of $50 for an electronic set and $150 for each hard-copy set of documents.

Prospective Bidders should note that this Contract will include the following critical requirements as identified in the Contract Documents:

  1. Certification of Non-Segregated Facilities, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Certifications
  2. Specific Labor Standard Provisions
  3. WV Contract Licensing Act – All Bidders are required to have a WV Contractor’s License per Section 30-42-12 of the WV Code.
  4. Build America, Buy America Requirements

Neither Owner nor Engineer will be responsible for full or partial sets of Bidding Documents, including addenda, if any, obtained from sources other than the Issuing Office.

Bidding Documents also may be examined at the Contractor’s Association of WV, 2114 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia 25311 or at the Friends of the Cheat office, located at 1343 North Preston Highway, Kingwood, West Virginia 26537.

A bidder may not withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the date set for the opening of bids.

Bids shall be accompanied by a certified check or bid bond payable to Friends of the Cheat in an amount not less than five percent (5%) of the maximum bid price, including alternates.

A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM local time at the City of Kingwood Council Chambers, 313 Tunnelton Street, Kingwood, WV 26537. Attendance at the pre-bid conference is mandatory.

Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders. Bids received after the scheduled closing time for the reception of bids will be returned unopened to the bidders. Friends of the Cheat reserves the right to reject any and/or all bids.

Bidders must comply with the President’s Executive Order Nos. 11246 and 11375, which prohibit discrimination in employment regarding race, creed, color, sex, or national origin. Bidders must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Anti-Kickback Act, Section 3 Segregated Facilities, Section 109 and the Contract Work Hours Standard Act.

Bidders must certify that they do not and will not maintain or provide for their employees any facilities that are segregated on the basis of race, color, creed or national origin. Federal Law prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, age, handicap and sex in this project. Minority firms are particularly encouraged to participate.

BUILD AMERICA, BUY AMERICA REQUIREMENT

P.L. 117-58, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs (IIJA) Act, 2021 (Act), includes a “Build America, Buy America (BABA)” requirement in Sections 70911 through 70917 that requires Abandoned Mine Lands

Economic Revitalization (AMLER) assistance recipients to use iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials that are produced in the United States.

USE OF MINORITY, WOMEN’S AND SMALL BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

Should the Contractor intend to sublet a portion of the work on this project, it shall seek out and consider minority, women and small business enterprises as potential subcontractors. The Contractor shall contact minority, women’s and small businesses to solicit their interest, capability, and prices, and shall retain proper documentation to substantiate such contacts.

The Contractor will sign and provide the Minority, Women’s and Small Business Affirmative Action Certification to Friends of the Cheat along with the name(s) of any subcontractor(s) it submits for approval.

DBE REQUIREMENTS

Each Bidder must fully Comply with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, and Affirmative Action Requirements, as identified in the contract documents. The Bidder agrees to make “positive efforts” to subcontract a portion of the total value of the contract to Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. This shall be done in compliance with the six (6) affirmative steps as outlined in 40 CFR 33.240. Failure to demonstrate positive efforts to do so may lead to rejection of bids. For this program, the term “subcontract” includes all construction, modification, and service work contracted for by the bidder in the execution of the work under this contract.