The department has full power in the procurement and letting of all contracts for transportation-related services. The department may award contracts for these services pursuant to procedures permitted by federal law. The department may solicit statements of qualifications and proposals, and award contracts for services based upon the criteria contained in the solicitations, only if the solicitations are posted electronically on the department’s publicly accessible site on the Internet for at least 2 weeks or advertised in newspapers. If advertisements are published in newspapers, they must appear in 2 or more public newspapers circulated wholly or in part in the State and in one public newspaper circulated wholly or in part in the county where the proposed work is to be done, if any such newspaper is circulated in that county. [PL 2005, c. 313, §6 (NEW).]

The department has the full power to maintain qualifications and performance data on firms and individuals that seek to provide transportation-related services. The commissioner may designate projects requiring additional project-specific prequalification standards and procedures for interested firms and individuals. [PL 2005, c. 313, §6 (NEW).]