BACKGROUND:
The Ofelia Bringas Memorial Bridge Project (aka Cathedral Canyon Drive Bridge at the Whitewater River) is replacing an existing low water crossing with the construction of a new 4-lane bridge providing a roadway section in conformance with the City’s General Plan. The bridge cross-section will provide four lanes of vehicular travel, a bike lane, and a sidewalk on the west side, a CV Link path on the east side and center raised median. Aesthetic treatments for the bridges’ external pilasters and railings will mirror the Date Palm Drive Bridge.
CNS Engineers, Inc. have provided the engineering design and right of way services for the Project since its inception. CNS had continued with the Project by providing construction design support services to T.Y. Lin International, who is providing the construction management for the Project on behalf of the City. CNS’s construction design support services include responding to Requests for Information (RFI’s), plan revisions, and review of submittals.
Construction of the Project is scheduled to be completed in May of 2022. The last CNS Contract Amendment No. 17 was approved on December 8, 2021, in the amount of $18,753.76 that provided for:
•Modifications to the profile and alignment of the bypass road by the Contractor to facilitate construction of the entire bridge substructure into a single stage. •An engineering analysis that was performed for the change of construction stage per the Contractor’s request.
•Additions and/or modifications of signs and lights on the Project. •Aesthetic treatments of the bridge railings and pilasters were modified per the City’s request.
•Coordination of the relocation design of an SCE facility and unforeseen potential conflict resolution of Frontier and SCE underground lines within the project. •An earthwork analysis that was performed in response to the Contractor’s inquiry on the potential discrepancies between the actual ground elevations of the project site and the aerial topo map shown on the contract plans on the upstream/west side of the bridge.
DISCUSSION:
As part of the right of way clearance performed for the Project, the City acquired several temporary construction easements (TCEs) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to temporarily access tribal allotment land in order to construct the improvements. The TCEs for Allotment 88E on the southwest corner of the bridge expired on December 8, 2021.
CNS Engineers, Inc. has provided the City with a proposal to perform the work necessary to extend this TCE through the completion of construction. This will include performing a waiver valuation and acquisition services.
CNS Engineers, Inc. is able to complete this additional scope of services within their existing budget by saving costs in submitting the final As-Builts electronically and removing unnecessary field meetings from their subconsultants for the final duration of the construction.
Staff also recommends extending the term of the contract July 24, 2023, to provide sufficient time to complete the construction and close out the Project.
Staff is requesting that the City Council approve the no cost Amendment No.18 to the Design Professional Services Agreement with CNS Engineers, Inc. for the Ofelia Bringas (aka Cathedral Canyon Drive) Bridge Project at the Whitewater River, CIP No. 8919, to provide additional right of way support services and, authorize the City Manager to execute Amendment.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action. The fee for the additional scope is within the total contract amount approved for CNS Engineers, Inc.