Directional Boring and Conduit Installation-Oak Park Apartments

The City of Salem, Virginia, is soliciting sealed bids from qualified contractors to install underground electric conduit by horizontal directional boring, and to install primary pull boxes (junction boxes) and transformer pads, at Oak Park Apartments, 105 Otter Avenue, Salem, Virginia 24153. The Successful Bidder shall furnish all labor, supervision, conduit and accessories, equipment, tools, and incidentals necessary to complete the work described in this Invitation to Bid (ITB) and shown on the Plans (Attachment C).

The City of Salem Electric Department owns and operates the electric distribution system serving customers within the City. This project will install a new underground primary conduit system at Oak Park Apartments, consisting of seven (7) bore runs ranging from approximately 50 to 283 feet, along with four (4) primary pull boxes and four (4) transformer pads, as shown on the Plans (Attachment C).

The Successful Bidder shall perform all work in accordance with the specifications set forth below and the Plans (Attachment C). The work includes the following approximate quantities:

• Approximately 1,300 linear feet of horizontal directional boring.
• Approximately 1,400 linear feet of 2-inch conduit.
• Approximately four (4) transformer pads (42” W x 42” L x 18” H).
• Approximately four (4) primary pull boxes (24” L x 24” W x 24” H).

Quantities are approximate and are provided for bidding purposes.

Conduit shall be HDPE pipe with a 13.5 Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR 13.5), color red; solid smooth wall outside and ribbed inside; pre-lubricated (Lamson Pipe Lube Duct or approved equal); with pull tape installed; and approved by the City prior to installation. All conduit runs shall consist of 2-inch conduit. The Successful Bidder shall supply all conduit and accessories.

Junction boxes and transformer pads will be supplied by the City to the Successful Bidder for installation. All No. 57 aggregate will be supplied by the customer. The Successful Bidder shall place the aggregate as specified herein.

The Successful Bidder shall use the Virginia 811 (Miss Utility) system for all work and must make all contacts required for marking prior to excavation. Boring shall be terminated in pits at the nodes indicated on the Plans; boring shall not begin or end at ground level. Minimum conduit depth shall be thirty-six (36) inches. Boring depths shall be documented at intervals of no more than twenty (20) feet. Depth records shall be provided to the City upon completion of each bore run.

The Base Bid shall be based on directional boring in earth. Soft rock and solid rock encountered during the work will be compensated only at the rock adder unit prices stated under Additional Pricing on the Bid Form (Items 2 and 3).

The Successful Bidder shall be responsible for all traffic control. The Successful Bidder shall return all work areas, as close as possible, to their original condition. Work hours shall be Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

All work shall be guaranteed against defects resulting from faulty or inferior materials, equipment, or workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of final acceptance of the work by the City.

Submission

Bids must be received by hand delivery, mail, or electronic submission through eVA at www.eva.virginia.gov no later than 3:00 p.m. (local time) on **Thursday, December 17, 2026**. Electronic submission through eVA is preferred. Bids submitted via facsimile or email will not be accepted. Bidders submitting paper bids shall provide one (1) original and two (2) copies in a sealed envelope.

**Mandatory** pre-bid conference and site visit: attendance is a condition of bidding. Bids will be accepted only from firms whose representative signed the attendance sheet.

Scoring

Award will be made to the lowest responsive and responsible Bidder on the basis of the Total Bid Price shown on the Bid Form.

Bonds and insurance

Each bid must be accompanied by a bid guarantee of **five percent (5%)** of the Total Bid Price, and the Successful Bidder must furnish a performance bond in the amount of **one hundred percent (100%)** of the contract amount. A payment bond is required if the contract amount exceeds $100,000.

Required insurance: Workers’ Compensation (Statutory); Employer’s Liability; Commercial General Liability (Each Occurrence: $1,000,000, General Aggregate: $2,000,000); Automobile Liability (Each Accident: $1,000,000, Aggregate: $2,000,000).

Contract term

The Contract shall remain in effect until final acceptance of the work, and the warranty obligations set forth herein shall continue for one (1) year thereafter. Bids shall remain valid for one hundred twenty (120) days from the bid opening date.