DBE Contracting Update - US 41 project gaining recognition

DBE CONTRACTING UPDATE

News for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise firms and stakeholders

January 2009

US 41 project gaining recognition

US 41 booth at DBE Workshop The US 41 highway project may not carry the same kind of name recognition among disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) firms as the Marquette Interchange, I-94 North/South or Zoo Interchange projects. However, US 41 project manager Brett Wallace feels that's changing, especially after the overwhelming success of the 23rd Annual DBE Workshop, held at Country Springs Hotel in Waukesha in mid-December, where for much of the day, it was standing room only.

"The goal was to get out and provide updated information about the project, schedule, budget, and overall opportunity for DBE firms, " said Wallace. "It was also about relationship building. Putting faces to names, networking, getting out and meeting the leaders in DBE contracting."

The US 41 project involves the reconstruction of 31 miles of freeway in Brown and Winnebago counties; traffic lanes are going to be added, 16 interchanges will be rebuilt, 44 roundabouts will be constructed, and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) installed. Work will begin in Winnebago County in 2009, where ten contracts, with a total value of $40 million, are going out for bid later this year. The values of those contracts range between $100,000 and $20 million. During a presentation on the project, given to contractors, consultants, and community leaders in a packed conference hall, Wallace told listeners that US 41 is a huge investment in both the state's transportation system and the growing swell of DBE contractors and subcontractors hoping to win government work.

"Our goals for DBE involvement range from 7 percent up to 20 percent. The aggregate goal on these 2009 projects is 9.3 percent."

Some of those projects include:

Oshkosh area razing and removal contract, worth between $100,000 and $200,000
Fountain/Snell overpass bridge construction, valued at $3 million to $5 million
Witzel Avenue overpass/Washburn Street reconstruction, worth from $8 million to $12 million
Lake Butte des Morts causeway grading, valued at between $15 million to $20 million

The US 41 team also staffed a booth displaying renderings of the rebuilt freeway, where team members handed out business cards, fact sheets, and information on the ten individual contracts. Wallace handed out many himself as he explained the US 41 project to the crowd filled with colleagues involved in the Marquette Interchange, I-94 North/South and Zoo Interchange projects. And weeks after the workshop the calls keep coming in. "I've had several follow-up conversations with people that resulted from that meeting. It was extremely helpful to network, meet people, and share information about the project."

For more information on the US 41 project and opportunities that exist for DBE firms, contact the US 41 Project Outreach Office at (920) 492-5696.