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Stalled V&M rail work gets on track
YOUNGSTOWN
The city could hire a contractor as soon as next week for a $14 million-plus railroad construction and relocation project for V&M Star’s $650 million expansion.
Charles Shasho, deputy director of the city’s public- works department, said he hopes to review the proposals shortly with the Federal Highway Administration and have the city’s board of control approve a contract Thursday.
For the third time, the city opened proposals for the work.
The city rejected four proposals for this work in June 2010. The project’s original estimate was $13.56 million, but the proposals ranged from $18.18 million to $20.21 million.
After nearly four months of talks with V&M, the state rail commission, the Ohio Department of Transportation and the FHA, the city changed the project’s scope and opened proposals in October 2010.
The city rejected the six proposals a month later because the apparent low proposal of $14,339,389.10 from Atlas Railroad Construction Co. of Eighty Four, Pa., failed to include a cost for two gate-crossing signals.
Two contractors threatened to sue the city over the bidding process. Also, attorneys from the city, ODOT, the rail commission and the state attorney general recommended the proposal be rejected.
More than seven months later, the city opened proposals Wednesday for the third time.
The project has a base contract for 28,000 feet of rail tracks, switches, crossovers, railroad ties and some storm sewer work. The city also plans three add-ons for 16,640 feet of additional rail tracks that V&M would use to load, unload and store railcars.
The city has $14,408,265 in federal stimulus funds for this work.
This time Atlas submitted the apparent highest proposal of $15,168.743 for the base contract and the add-ons.
The apparent low proposal of $14,075,796 came from the Great Lakes Construction Co. of Hinckley. Great Lakes had the third lowest proposal during the October effort to hire a company for the work.
Marucci & Gaffney Excavating Inc. of Youngstown has the apparent second lowest proposal of $14,235,647. The Youngstown company had the apparent second lowest proposal among the proposals opened in October by the city.
The other proposal in the third round, the apparent third lowest proposal, came from Rail Works Track Services of North Jackson with $15,262,897. Rail Works had the apparent fourth lowest proposal in the second try to hire a company for the work.
Once the contract is awarded, work should start within 30 days, Shasho said. The project should take about 300 days to complete.