54-TJK-02-PR40858, STATE ROUTE SHOULDER AND MEDIAN MOWING

Work includes mowing of vegetation along State Highway System routes within Jones and Lenoir Counties. The furnishing of all equipment, tools, materials, transportation, and labor shall be incidental to completion of the work.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. TYPE OF WORK: STATE ROUTE SHOULDER AND MEDIAN MOWING. COUNTIES: JONES AND LENOIR – DIVISION 2. **PRE-QUALIFICATION MANDATORY**.

Work includes mowing of vegetation along State Highway System routes within Jones and Lenoir Counties. The furnishing of all equipment, tools, materials, transportation, and labor shall be incidental to completion of the work.

A Contract awarded pursuant to this RFP will use the Ditch typical section for routine mowing cycles on all routes. Cleanup mowing cycles shall include the area established for routine mowing and extend to the established tree/wood line or right-of-way, or as directed by the Engineer.

Vegetation shall be cut to a height of four (4) inches. [...] The Contractor shall provide at minimum (quantity) the following functional and operating equipment each cycle in the performance of mowing for this contract:

• 60" – 90" Mowers: 4
• 10' – 15' Flex Wing Mowers: 4
• Long-arm Mowers: 0
• 60" to 72" Zero Turn type Mowers: 0

The Contractor shall perform vegetation trimming around all permanent roadway signs on all four-lane divided and undivided routes during each mowing cycle. This work is incidental to the primary scope of the contract; no separate or additional payment will be made for sign trimming, and all associated costs shall be absorbed into the Contractor's unit bid prices for mowing.

Mowing and string trimming operations performed under this contract shall comply with the moratorium established in SL 2025-47 (SB 391) as follows: ALL ROUTES: May 1 through May 31

**Pre-qualification is mandatory.** Any firm that wishes to perform work on this POC as either the prime contractor or as a subcontractor must be pre-qualified for the type work they wish to perform (including but not necessarily limited to NCDOT Work Code "016607 Mowing"). [...] Prospective bidders shall obtain prequalification approval at least two (2) business days prior to any letting in which they intend to submit a bid.

A contract awarded pursuant to this RFP shall have an effective date of **March 15, 2027**. The completion date shall be **December 31, 2027**. At its discretion, NCDOT may offer extension of the contract for an additional term up to a maximum of five (5) total terms (original term and four (4) renewals).

Upon award of contract, the Contractor is required to choose one of the following Performance Guarantee Options [...] Option 1: Performance and Payment Bonds: A Performance Bond in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount [...] In addition, a Payment Bond in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the contract amount [...] Option 2: Retainage Fee: For the initial term and any extensions, the NCDOT shall retain six percent (6%) from the amount of each invoice as a performance guarantee.

Any addenda will be posted on Connect NCDOT and on the electronic Vendor Portal (eVP), https://evp.nc.gov.