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Publications iconKansas Register

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Volume 40 - Issue 51 - December 23, 2021

(Published in the Kansas Register December 23, 2021.)

South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad

Request for Proposals

Interested parties are invited to submit a proposal for providing right of way (ROW) tree and brush cutting/clearing for the proposed South Kansas and Oklahoma (SKOL) Railroad project.

Scope of Work

Tree and brush cutting/clearing, crossing clearing on SKOL Railroads various subdivisions:

  • Approximately 105 days of tree, brush and crossing clearing on the Tulsa, Moline, and Neodesha subdivisions
  • Provide all necessary labor and adequate mechanical equipment to complete all tree and brush cutting/clearing along the SKOL Railroads ROW
  • Provide all brush and tree cutting at specified road crossings along the SKOL Railroads ROW
  • Cutting is to be done in a safe manner; operators are to take precaution when cutting/clearing near pedestrians, towns, houses, schools, churches, and road crossings
  • Additional details to be provided to contractors by the Railroad:
    • Areas to cut back on each subdivision
    • Specific crossing sites to be cut back/clear

Minimum Requirements

MSA and Roadway Worker Protection

  • Contractors must complete, and have on file, a current Master Services Agreement with the SKOL Railroad, prior to beginning work.
  • Contractors shall always comply with all parts of 49 CFR Part 214 and 219 regarding FRA Roadway Worker Safety. Men and equipment shall remain clear of the track unless they have gained Roadway Worker Protection from a qualified person.
  • Contractor, contractor employees, agents and/or subcontractors must be enrolled and comply with the FRA 219 approved drug testing program.
  • Any subcontracted work will need to be approved by the SKOL Railroad prior to any work starting.
  • As of January 1, 2021, All Contractors will be required to complete WATCO Contractor Orientation at https://watcocontractor.com/. Any contractor who was previously enrolled in e-SHORTLINE with Watco in the past, will be required to complete the WATCO Contractor Orientation (See above.)

Work Windows

Impact to current railroad operations must be kept to a minimum. When work must take place that causes an active track to be taken out of service for the purposes of performing work that pertains to the project, the contractor must pre-arrange a defined work window with the railroad. It is the railroads intentions to provide a minimum work window of ten hours with no more than one schedule of interruption in that time frame, between the hours of 07:00 and 17:00. For work windows extending more than ten hours, a minimum of 72 hours of notification is required to the railroad to arrange this window. Work windows may be arranged seven days a week, if desired.

Submittals

The following documents shall be submitted by the contractor as part of the project at the times listed:

  • Schedule of Work – submitted with proposal (SKOL will coordinate with contractor, prior to work beginning)
  • Certificate of Insurance – submitted prior to construction
  • Proof of Roadway Worker Training – submitted prior to construction
  • All contractors must recognize that this project contains federal funding and must comply with federal requirements such as the Davis-Bacon Act, “Buy America,” and the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE), where applicable

Other Responsibilities

  • Permits – contractor is responsible for all federal, state, and local permits required for the work. To include any road closures or traffic control.
  • Utilities – contractor is responsible to locate and protect site utilities.
  • Site Clean-up – contractor is responsible for proper site restoration and proper disposal of materials removed in accordance with all local, state and federal laws.

Insurance

Contractor shall purchase required coverage and submit for verification a Certificate of Insurance.

Submission of a Proposal

All proposals must be submitted to Cameron Ginther at cameron.ginther@watco.com no later than 3:00 p.m. (CST) Friday, January 14, 2022. All submitted proposals shall be reviewed by the SKOL Railroad and KDOT. Please ensure your proposal includes all required information. All late or incomplete proposals shall be rejected. The SKOL requests that the contractor provides a combined daily rate for operator and equipment when submitting a proposal. For further information or questions regarding the request for proposals can be directed to Cameron Ginther, Project Manager at 785-513-6049 or cameron.ginther@watco.com.

Work Reporting

Detailed daily work reports (SKOL will provide format) must be filled out and submitted to Mike Mulnix–SKOL Roadmaster, Jerod Gofourth–SKOL Assistant Roadmaster and Cameron Ginther–Project Manager. Reports should include updates on cutting progress, any delays or any changes in the contractor’s cutting schedule.

Cameron Ginther
Watco

Doc. No. 049652

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