TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Erick Lee, Public Works Director
Katherine Doherty, City Engineer
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement to S2 Engineering, Inc. for $379,940 for Construction Management and Inspection Services for the Sepulveda Bridge Widening Project (Public Works Director Lee).
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 22-0114
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt Resolution No. 22-0114 approving Amendment No. 2 to the Professional Services Agreement to S2 Engineering, Inc. for $379,940 for Construction Management and Inspection Services for the Sepulveda Bridge Widening Project (Project).
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Sepulveda Bridge Widening Project is programmed in the Proposition C Fund and has grant funding from CalTrans and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro). On July 7, 2020, City Council adopted a resolution awarding an agreement to S2 Engineering, Inc. (S2) for Construction Management and Inspection Services for a total of $1,689,704. On December 7, 2021, City Council adopted a resolution approving Amendment No. 1 which increased the term of the agreement and the total amount available as part of the agreement to $2,279,704. This proposed amendment would increase the agreement with S2 by $379,940 to provide additional services for a total not to exceed amount of $2,659,644. Sufficient funding for this amendment is included within the project’s current budget appropriation. There are no additional fiscal implications at this time.
BACKGROUND:
The purpose of the Sepulveda Bridge Widening Project is to widen the northbound lane of the existing Sepulveda Bridge at 33rd Street (i.e., the pinch point). The existing bridge was 100 feet wide and 165 feet long, with five-foot-wide sidewalks and no shoulders. The project includes widening the east side of the bridge by approximately 29 feet to provide one additional northbound lane on Sepulveda Boulevard within the Project area. The widened structure includes a total of seven through lanes (three southbound and four northbound). The additional lane begins just north of 33rd Street where a merging lane currently exists adjacent to the sidewalk. The new lane will continue north from 33rd Street to approximately 295 feet south of Rosecrans Avenue where the lane will merge into an existing fourth lane. The widened bridge will have a shoulder varying from two to eight feet on the east side of the bridge, and the existing non-standard sidewalks will be widened to six feet. Seismic retrofits of the existing bridge will also be completed. Landscaping will be provided in the project area, mostly for the purpose of slope stabilization. The bridge railings in both northbound and southbound directions will also be upgraded.
DISCUSSION:
The construction of the Sepulveda Bridge Widening Project has experienced several site-related unforeseen challenges, including the discovery of conflicting underground utilities (storm drain, water pipeline, gas line, etc.) that required engineered solutions prior to relocation work. Additional coordination with the neighboring mall and Caltrans were also necessary. SoCalGas ran into issues in relocating its existing 6-inch diameter gas line that was within the footprint of the proposed cast-in-drill-hole (CIDH) piles on the west side of the Sepulveda Bridge. To avoid further delays, the contractor, C.A. Rasmussen, performed various work on extended hours and weekends. The contractor has also coordinated its work activities to minimize the project delays and complete the work this summer.
All work performed by the contractor is independently inspected by S2 to ensure quality work and compliance with the project plans and specifications. This independent construction oversight is also a requirement in the Caltrans Cooperative Agreement with the City to allow construction to take place within their public rights-of-way (State Highway).
Per the construction contract, the overtime costs are being partially deducted from the Contractor’s payment. Even though S2’s overtime expenditures are indirectly and partially covered by the Contractor’s payment deductions, the unanticipated overtime cost incurred by S2 is being expended from the available contract budget between the City and S2. Furthermore, the duration of the project is now anticipated to be extended approximately 11 months longer than anticipated in the original S2 Agreement. Amendment No. 1 addressed the first seven months of the 11-month total delay. At the time Amendment No. 1 was approved, it was anticipated that all project work would be completed by March 31, 2022. This Amendment No. 2 addresses the last four months of the 11-month total delay. To ensure continuity in construction oversight and inspection of the contractor’s work for the additional four months and the overtime work, staff recommends approval of Amendment No. 2 to S2’s original agreement.
This project is now scheduled to be completed by August 31, 2022.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
During the construction phase, public outreach includes weekly construction notices, electronic message boards on Sepulveda Boulevard for northbound and southbound traffic, and updates on the City website.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
Environmental review regarding the overall project (CEQA Negative Declaration) was completed on February 24, 1988. Subsequent environmental re-validations were completed on June 1, 2004, May 5, 2014, and July 20, 2018.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has approved the amendment as to form.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 22-0114
2. Amendment No. 2 - S2 Engineering
3. Agreement and Amendment No. 1 - S2 Engineering
4. Budget and Expenditures Summary
5. Location Map