Upper Rouge CSO (North) Tunnel, Bids Canceled

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has canceled plans to bid the Upper Rouge CSO (North) Tunnel (PC-763). Addendum No. 5, dated February 23, 2009, but received yesterday by plan holders, advised bidders that DWSD was not going to be taking bids on the project at this time. There was no official explanation offered by DWSD for cancellation of the North Tunnel.

Work will continue, however, on the Upper Rouge CSO (South) Tunnel (PC-764), which was awarded to Kenny/Obayashi, JV in September (reported here).

The Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project is a requirement of the Department's NPDES Permit, and is subject the Second Amended Consent Decree in the EPA Litigation.

[Update: On March 18, 2009, McGraw Hill Dodge Reports indicated that this project was on hold until 2014. ]

Court Approves $1 Million Extension for Oversight Contract of Detroit Water and Sewerage Department

On February 24, 2009, U.S. District Judge John Feikens approved a one-year extension of Infrastructure Management Group's contract with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. The contract is for a not to exceed (NTE) amount of $1 million and includes a 10% reduction in the hourly fees IMG charges the Department. Among its services, IMG is charged with reviewing all DWSD contracts in excess of $500,000.

IMG was originally hired in November, 2002 at the direction of Judge John Feikens, who has had superintending control over the Department since 1977.

Order Approving IMG Contract (Feb 24, 2009)

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Mayor Pledges Overhaul of City, DWSD Contracting Practices

During his State of the City address last night, Detroit Mayor Ken Cockrel, Jr. announced a new initiative aimed at reforming the City’s contracting practices. As reported by the Detroit Free Press (here) –

“In Cockrel’s first State of the City speech -- given two weeks before the mayoral primary election in which he is a candidate -- he said he will assign Deputy Mayor Saul Green and others to research a method of ensuring that vendors win contracts on their merits.”

“They should not get contracts because of who they know or who they're related to, and they should not be rewarded for political donations or favors,” Cockrel said, generating applause.. “As long as I'm mayor, pay-to-play is history in the City of Detroit.”

Mayor Cockrel indicated that contracting reforms would begin with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

[Note: I’ll provide more information on this subject when it becomes available.]

Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel (North) Bid Date Extended (Again)

The bid date for the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel (North) (PC-763) has been extended a second time to Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. from February 12th. Bids will be opened in Room 1008, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.

For more information about the Upper Rouge CSO Tunnel project read here. For specific information about PC-763 (South Tunnel), read here.