Contractor's System Project Question and Answer Forum

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Submitted: Monday 25-AUG-2025 03:28 PM
Company: Bridger Precast LLC
Contact: Timothy Anderson
The three-sided box which we supply includes a haunch with multiple angles, which would be located under the infill.
Would this difference be acceptable? Do you need to see a cross section?
Answer
Submitted: Wednesday 27-AUG-2025 10:47 AM
Please provide a cross section with dimensions of the three-sided box for consideration to mdtprelimbids@mt.gov.
UPDATED: Thursday 28-AUG-2025 09:58 AM
After reviewing the cross section, MDT has determined that there are no issues with the proposed box design to be used.

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Submitted: Wednesday 10-SEP-2025 04:23 PM
Company: Riverside Contracting, Inc.
Contact: Estimating
Due to the geographical location of the project and subsequent weather limitations, would the department consider a flex NTP date after the first of July in 2026? Also, S.P. #21 states that the permit authorization is valid until March of 2026, please clarify.
Answer
Submitted: Monday 15-SEP-2025 10:06 AM
1. Special provision #2, Contract Time is hereby replaced with the Special Provision Contract Time – Flex Time Proceed Date. The flex time notice to proceed will be issued with an effective date of July 13, 2026. CONTRACT TIME
2. If the work described in the CWA 404 Nationwide Permit is under contract before the date that the NWP expires, 12 months from the date of the expiration of the NWP is allowed to complete the activity under the present terms and conditions. If work were to continue beyond the 12 months, MDT would modify the permit to extend it.

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Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 05:31 PM
Company: CK May
Contact: Josh McKenzie
1. As a follow up to the NTP question above, the instream work can't be performed between May 1 and July 15. Would MDT consider a Flex NTP of July 15th.
2. Based on the width of MT-20 at the RCB, there does not appear to be enough space for a two phase installation with the bottom of the RCB 11 feet deep without a shoofly detour on both sides of MT-20. Is the intent to mirror the north shoofly detour on the south?
3. SP 26 A. states "Accomplish traffic control for the project in accordance with Section 618 of the Standard Specifications. Traffic Control will be measured and paid for in accordance with Section 618 of the Standard Specifications and the "Traffic Control Rate Schedule" found elsewhere in this proposal." The bid item for this project is Traffic Control - Lump Sum. With the complexity and unknows of this project, will MDT update the bid to Traffic Control - Units?
Answer
Submitted: Tuesday 15-SEP-2025 03:52 PM
 1. See response to question #2.
2. Use newly placed surfacing on top of the RCB to accommodate traffic around the second phase of culvert installation. The Department will consider alternate sequencing such that other requirements of the contract provisions are satisfied, and the proposed sequence reduces impacts to the travelling public.
3. The traffic control bid item for this project is Traffic Control – Lump Sum. 

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Submitted: Wednesday 03-SEP-2025 11:56 AM
Company: Poteet Construction
Contact: Estimating
Special Provision 18 Noise Impact states, no construction activities will be allowed between the hours of 10pm and 6am. Special Provision 20 Street Closures and Sunday Work states, working on Sundays and at night is permitted. What are the working hours on this project?
Answer
Submitted: Friday 05-SEP-2025 08:56 AM
Sunday work will be permitted on this project to minimize disruption to the traveling public.  Work between 10 pm and 6 am will require prior approval from the project manager.  The project manager will be responsible for obtaining approval from the City of Missoula before such work may proceed.  All other requirements outlined in Special Provision 20 applies.

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Submitted: Wednesday 10-SEP-2025 10:38 AM
Company: Sletten Construction
Contact: Russ Robertson
On sheet B4, it says to include the costs for multiple items in the unit price for Concrete - Class Structure. By doing this you are greatly driving up the unit price on a bid item that could have potential deducts associated with it. MDT should consider breaking these items out into a separate bid item to ensure proper payment for those items and keeping the concrete separate.
Answer
Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 10:42 AM
In accordance with the note on sheet B4, include these costs in the unit price.

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Submitted: Thursday 11-SEP-2025 01:22 PM
Company: Poteet Construction
Contact: Estimating
Special Provision 41 Wide Load and Superload Accommodation - C. Measurement and Payment. Wide Load passage/marshaling will be included in the traffic control bid item Wide Load Marshalling-LS. There is not a bid item for Wide Load Marshalling. How will wide load marshalling be paid?
Answer
Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 10:36 AM
This project will not have wide load marshalling. A width restriction will be in place for the structures being repaired. Notice of the wide load restrictions will be portrayed to motorists with single use signs in accordance with the added special provision.
Special provision No. 41, Wide Load and Superload Accommodation, is rescinded. The special Provision WIDE LOAD RESTRICTIONS is hereby incorporated into the contract.

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Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 11:58 AM
Company: L & J Construction Group, LLC
Contact: Estimating
We need to assume a deck condition after Bridge Deck Milling for Engineering Analysis. Previous Q/A instructed the contractor to assume no debonding of the top mat of rebar. The Department also stated that changes in the contractor's operations resulting from reduced deck capacity would be considered extra work. Will this project follow the same guidelines?
Answer
Submitted: Monday 16-SEP-2025 10:59 AM
Bid this work under the assumption that the rebar remains bonded. If significant debonding is encountered during construction and requires changes to the contractor’s operations, it will be considered extra work and considered for time extension under 108.07.5. The STRUCTURE ANALYSIS bid item is included to pay for the engineering analysis and report.

No Questions available for this project.

No Questions available for this project.

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Submitted: Friday 19-SEP-2025 03:55 PM
Company: Knife River
Contact: Estimating
Would the Department consider making their pit off of Timber Creek Rd near the Haugan scale site available for aggregate production and hot plant site and production.

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Submitted: Thursday 18-SEP-2025 03:08 PM
Company: Diamond Drilling & Sawing
Contact: Eric Blackburn
The full as-built drawing set for Structure 04454- Burlington St over I-90 is missing from the bid docs. Please provide.
Answer
Submitted: Friday 19-SPE-2025 12:36 PM
The files linked below represent the as-built drawings for the structures. MDT provides them for informational purposes only. They do not include drawings for modifications to the structures, such as joint replacements and guardrail revisions and may not completely represent current conditions. Thus, some of the information contained in these documents may be out of date or not applicable with regard to the advertised project. The contractor should not rely solely on the as-built drawings provided for bidding purposes nor does any data in these files supersede the data in the contract documents. AS BUILT DRAWINGS

No Questions available for this project.

No Questions available for this project.

No Questions available for this project.

No Questions available for this project.

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Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 07:34 AM
Company: Montana Fence Co.
Contact: Eric Wutke
In regard to the 8’ tall wildlife fencing. Would the M.D.O.T. Consider a design change to a metal panel and steel line post-game fence system? The reasons are 1. Steel save the M.D.O.T. Costs long term in maintenance and replacement. Wood posts decay overtime and the fence will need to be replaced. 2. Steel fences will not burn in a fire. 3. The area where this fence is being installed in a river bottom corridor which has very rocky gravelly soil. Metal fence posts drive and remain stable in rocky soils more efficiently than would and are less apt to be compromised in the installation. Question 2. Has the department factored in the line of fence footage twice through the single panels on the 8-foot wildlife fence? The wire is stretch twice through the panels going both directions and is paid twice. In the past the department has not had this footage in the line of fence quantities and has had cost overruns of 15’x the # of panels on the projects. Please recalculate footage. This would apply to both wood and steel fence systems.

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Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 07:10 AM
Company: Montana Fence co.
Contact: Eric Wutke
Regarding bid items 607100149, 607100360 and 607100380. The M.D.O.T. Has designated wood line posts and brace panel systems. It is our professional opinion the there is greater benefits to switch from wood posts to steel line posts and steel panels (M.D.O.T. Drawing 607-5). We ask the M.D.O.T. To consider a change. Here are our reasons. 1. The project site is in a dry fire prone area. We have been replacing fire-burned wood fence around the state of Montana with steel fences and panels and believe it would be wise to do so on this project. 2. Steel post do not rot and decay. Saving maintenance and replacement costs. Steel post tend to pound in, through and around the rocks that will be encountered on this job. While wood posts are more apt to explode while pounding. They are also not as able to get to depth in rock. 3. Steel fence is easier for maintenance to maintain and the Department has called out the 607-5 detail on the majority of jobs in recent years. Will the state consider a change to these bid items?

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Submitted: Friday 12-SEP-2025 07:23 AM
Company: Montana Fence
Contact: Eric Wutke
In analyzing the brace panel quantities for 607100360 and 607100380 as well as looking at where they are called out on the plans, would the M.D.O.T. Recalculate the quantities as they appear to be inaccurate. Per drawing 607-10, Single panels are used for cross fences as well as at starting points and ending points. Double panels are installed at max spacing of 660 feet on woven wire fences as well as at angle changes and at the top and bottom of hills. In all recent projects double panels far exceed single panels in total quantity.