The department has full power in the procurement and letting of all contracts to construct, demolish or maintain transportation infrastructure. The department shall make, or cause to be made, all surveys, plans, estimates, specifications and contracts for all proposed work. If the work is to be contracted, the department shall, except as otherwise provided in this Title, advertise for bids for the proposed work electronically through the department’s publicly accessible site on the Internet or through advertisements in newspapers. If advertisements are published in newspapers, advertisements 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. The advertisement must state the place where the bidders may purchase or examine the plans and specifications and the time and place where the bids for the work will be received by the department. Each bidder must accompany its bid with a bid guaranty in accordance with the department’s specifications. All bids submitted must be publicly opened and read at the time and place stated in the advertisement. The department has the right to reject any bids and to advertise for new bids if, in the department’s opinion, doing so is in the best interest of the department; otherwise, the department shall award the contract to the responsible bidder submitting the lowest bid. A town may submit bids for construction, demolition or maintenance of transportation infrastructure within that town’s limits and is subject to all requirements prescribed for other contractors, except that a bond is not required of the town. The department may construct, demolish or maintain transportation infrastructure by day labor without advertising for bids and may, with the approval of the Governor, award contracts for the construction, demolition or maintenance of transportation infrastructure without advertising for bids if doing so is in the best interest of the State. [PL 2005, c. 313, §6 (NEW).]

The department has the full power to prequalify bidders for construction, demolition and maintenance projects based on factors contained in the department’s written prequalification procedures. The commissioner may designate projects requiring project-specific prequalification standards and procedures for bidders. [PL 2005, c. 313, §6 (NEW).]

The department may adopt its own standard contract specifications. The department’s standard specifications must be used in lieu of federally mandated contract clauses. [PL 2005, c. 313, §6 (NEW).]