The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) said today (Tuesday), it will be undertaking a project to rebuild Interstate 680 in Pottawattamie County, which was decimated by the Missouri River flooding. The roadway has been closed since early June. The Iowa DOT will be using nontraditional design, contracting and construction approaches to get the roadway rebuilt quickly and traffic flowing again.  Getting the roadway reopened will also restore access to the Omaha airport from the north. 

A single contract will be awarded for the project that involves a complete rebuild. An emergency letting is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 21st. A meeting will be held later this week with contractors to discuss constructability of the project. The Iowa DOT will provide bidders a typical cross section, as-built plans, and standards for design, construction and materials. A single, lump-sum bid item to perform all necessary work is anticipated. The contract award will be based on low bid. 

All information necessary to bid on the project will be made available to contractors on the Iowa DOT’s website at http://www.iowadot.gov/contracts/lettings.html. A special section on the site is devoted specifically to the I-680 project. Other information will be added to the site, as needed and it becomes available; so be sure to check back for the latest details. In addition to the website referenced above, information will be posted on the Bid Express website, www.bidx.com, used by contractors to electronically bid on projects.  Bidders with questions should direct them to the Iowa DOT’s Office of Contracts at: phone 515-239-1414; fax 515-239-1325 or e-mail dot.contracts@dot.iowa.gov.