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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpening of Proposals - Coal Line Trail Phase 3 Proj No 123-007 - SJCA IncRESPONSIBLE OFFICE SJCA, Inc. 105 E. Jefferson Street Blvd. Ste. 216 South Bend, IN 46601 317-566-0629 Authorized Negotiator Sherly George, PE Executive Vice President and COO sgeorge@sjcainc.com Point of Contact Robin Warner, Director of Construction Inspection and Project Manager rwarner@sjcainc.com PROFESSIONAL SERVICESAugust 11, 2026 LETTER OF INTERESTCITY OF SOUTH BEND LAPORTE DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III – LINCOLNWAY WEST TO LINDEN AVE (DES # 2201235) Caitlin Wyant, Project Engineer 215 S Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Suite 400 South Bend, IN 46601 SJCA is pleased to submit our Letter of Interest to provide Construction Inspection Services for the City of South Bend Coal Line Trail Phase III project. Our team brings extensive experience on INDOT- and LPA-administered roadway projects, and we are prepared to deliver a safe, compliant, and efficient inspection program that minimizes disruption to the traveling public and adjacent property owners. EXPERIENCED TEAM & PROJECT MANAGER Robin Warner will serve as your Project Manager and primary point of contact. Robin has all the credentials and certifications required by INDOT for Construction Inspection. With extensive experience in federally- and locally- funded projects, he is well-equipped to ensure the successful delivery of this multi-use trail project in the City of South Bend. PRACTICAL & COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH SJCA Inc. is known for our quick response time and dedication to a project. Our construction inspection approach has been highly rated through evaluations and comments. SJCA has visited the project site and formed a strategic project understanding and approach based on our in-person observations to manage construction services and keep this project on schedule. Our ability to be proactive before a project begins demonstrates that we are eager to work with the City of South Bend. CAPACITY TO DELIVER Over the past few years, SJCA has increased capacity by growing to over 100 employees, with the commitment of serving our clients with additional resources and capabilities to handle any project challenges. With well-qualified team members and sufficient capacity, the SJCA team can provide added value to the project if the contractor desires to accelerate the schedule. The SJCA Construction Inspection department includes four Construction Inspectors and three Resident Project Representatives. We appreciate the City of South Bend considering SJCA for this project and we look forward to a partnership that successfully delivers it! Sincerely, TEAM PREQUALIFICATIONS % SJCA, Inc.13.1 Construction Inspection 100% 2 EXPERIENCED PROJECT MANAGER SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III ROBIN WARNER Robin has over 41 years of experience constructing roads, bridges, drainage systems, airports, and other civil engineering projects. Beginning his career with INDOT, Robin has an in-depth understanding of successfully working with state DOTs, counties, and Public Works Departments. With this experience, Robin believes that a consulting inspection firm is a steward of the clients’ money and insists that he and his teammates take the project’s appropriate ownership to get the best value for the customer’s dollar. PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE 2 RESIDENT PROJECT REPRESENTATIVE CAMERON RIEWE REGISTRATION & TRAINING• Project Supervisor Site Manager Credentials• INDOT Qualified Testing Technician• INDOT Certified Technician• Bridge Construction and Deck Repair• Construction Earthworks• Construction Procedures 1• Construction Procedures 2• Concrete Paving• Hot Mix Asphalt Paving• OSHA 30-hour Safety Training CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROJECT EXPERIENCE• Inspector, Marquette Trail, LaPorte County• Inspector, I-94E over NICTD RR Thin Deck Overlay, LaPorte County• Inspector, I-94W over NICTD RR Thin Deck Overlay, LaPorte County• Inspector, Warnke Road over I-94 Deck Overlay, LaPorte County• Project Supervisor, Three Thin Deck Overlays, LaPorte District REGISTRATION & TRAINING• Site Manager Training• Site Manager Certified• INDOT Certified Technician• INDOT Certified Technician Instructor• Indianapolis DPW RPR Training• CPR and First Aid • OSHA 40-hour Certification• Indianapolis Department of Public Works Inspection Client Training CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION PROJECT EXPERIENCE• RPR, Bridge Deck Overlay, Mann Road over Peyton Lake, Indianapolis• RPR, Project Supervisor, Mackenzie Road & SR 9 Intersection Improvement & Traffic Signal Installation, Greenfield IN• RPR, Whitewater Basin Trail, Richmond, IN• Project Manager, Lower Fall Creek Trail Phase II, Indianapolis• RPR, Multiple Bridge Rehabilitation project, I-70 and I-65 inner loop, Indianapolis• RPR, ADA Ramp Improvements, 53 intersections from 21st Street to 30th Street between Kenwood Avenue and North College Avenue, Indianapolis• RPR, Lakeshore Drive over Briar Creek Bridge 283, Hamilton County• RPR, South County Road 150 East over Williams Creek Bridge 82, Fayette County• RPR, North County Road 150 East over Whitewater Creek Bridge 81, Fayette County• RPR, South Snyder Road over Williams Creek Bridge 43, Fayette County Cameron holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Manufacturing Engineering & Technology from Ball State University. In his time with SJCA, he has developed at an exceptional pace by closely learning from mentors in both the construction inspection and engineering departments. His ability to work closely with his mentors, client representatives, and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) has greatly contributed to his success in participating in and supervising multiple INDOT-based projects. His attention to detail, willingness to ask questions about unusual field conditions, and commitment to understanding project requirements have supported his continued professional growth. Cameron successfully transitioned from the SiteManager program to the AWP program currently in use, demonstrating his ability to adapt to new procedures and technologies. His organizational skills, adaptability, and eagerness to learn have made him a valuable member of the SJCA team in his role as Resident Project Representative. Stephanie Raykovich Micah Morris Garrett Speer COMMUNICATIONScott Lee PROJECT MANAGERRobin Warner RESIDENT PROJECT REPRESENTATIVECameron Riewe CONSTRUCTION INSPECTORS QA/QC AND TECHNICAL ADVISORGreg Quebe, PS, PE SJCA HAS AMPLE CAPACITY SJCA, Inc. was founded in 1998 and has grown from a single owner firm specializing in bridge design to a multi-disciplined firm with four owners, five office locations, and approximately 100 employees. Significant capacity and built-in redundancy allow us to adjust assignments to address unforeseen challenges or accelerated schedules. SJCA CURRENTLY HAS PROJECT TEAM 3PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCESJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III 55 OFFICES IN INDIANA 100100 EMPLOYEES(APPROX.) 2121 PROFESSIONALENGINEERS 77 CONSTRUCTIONINSPECTORS AND RPRS PROJECT TEAM 4PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCESJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III MICAH MORRIS (SJCA) Project Supervisor Site Manager & AWP Qualified INDOT Qualified Testing Technician STEPHANIE RAYKOVICH (SJCA) INDOT Certified Technician Project Supervisor Site Manager & AWP Qualified INDOT Qualified Testing Technician NHI Safety Inspection of In-Service Bridges Certification Micah Morris is an experienced construction inspection professional with more than 10 years of service with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), including four years as a Construction Inspector. He brings strong expertise in bridge and roadway construction operations, contractor coordination, project compliance, quality assurance, and field documentation. Micah has supported a range of transportation projects, including HMA paving and resurfacing, bridge rehabilitation, sidewalk and curb-ramp construction, small-structure replacement, full-depth reclamation, materials inspection, and traffic-control monitoring. PROJECT EXPERIENCE• Inspector, Bridge 32 Rehabilitation, Randolph County• Inspector, Bridge 146 Rehabilitation, Hancock County• Multiple HMA paving and resurfacing projects*• Multiple sidewalk, curb, and curb ramp projects*• Multiple small structure replacements and rehabilitation projects*• Multiple bridge rehabilitation projects*• Full-depth reclamation project* * = Experience with Previous Employer Stephanie has an AS in Mechanical Engineering and over 24 years of experience in CADD. She joined SJCA as a Computer-Aided Drafting Technician II. After being temporarily assigned to assist the Construction Inspection department, Stephanie also decided to transition into our Construction Inspector role, where she has consistently demonstrated outstanding skills. PROJECT EXPERIENCE• Inspector, Bridge 250, Randolph County• Inspector, Bridge 18 Rehabilitation, Blackford County• Inspector, Bridge 126 Superstructure Replacement, Henry County• Inspector, Bridge 36, Hancock County• Inspector, Bridge 304, Randolph County• Inspector, Box Culvert, Randolph County• Inspector, Bridge 146, Hancock County• Inspector, Bridge 32, Randolph County• Inspector, Highway 111 Pavement Reconstruction, Harrison County• Wind and Solar Asset Management Inspector, Blackford County GARRETT SPEER, EIT (SJCA) Garrett is a South Bend resident who joined the SJCA team after graduating from Purdue University in May 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He has academic and professional experience in structural design, transportation design, site design, hydraulics, and geographic information systems (GIS). PROJECT EXPERIENCE• As a recent college graduate, Garrett has limited knowledge of the construction process. We hope to mentor him to gain that knowledge on this project. 5PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE PROJECT APPROACH SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III SJCA has created a three-pronged approach to achieving a successful Construction Inspection project: SUCCESSFUL PROJECT COORDINATION SAFETY QUALITY & COMPLIANCE • City of South Bend• Contractor • INDOT• Utilities• Public • Contractor• Public• ADA Compliance • Timely Records• Standards • Cost Control 1 2 3 6PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE PROJECT APPROACH SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION Our team will provide proactive, field-centered construction inspection and contract administration services for the City of South Bend’s Coal Line Trail Phase III project along College Street, from Linden Avenue to Lincoln Way West. The work will extend the City’s active transportation network with an approximately 11-foot-wide concrete shared-use trail, raised pedestrian crossings and bump outs, curb and driveway reconstruction, pavement or brick restoration, pedestrian-scale lighting, landscaping, signage, and street furniture. The Coal Line Trail is a three-phase corridor developed primarily along the former Notre Dame & Western coal-line alignment. Phase I established the trail connection from Lincoln Way West north toward Riverside Drive, including a concrete shared-use path, trail amenities, drainage-related features, and a connection to the Riverside Trail. Phase II continued the system across the St. Joseph River by converting the former railroad bridge for pedestrian use and extending the route toward Angela Boulevard and the East Bank Trail. Our inspection approach will build on the City’s established trail-system objectives—safe, continuous bicycle and pedestrian connections—and will apply the same attention to constructability, public access, quality, and documentation to Phase III. UTILITY COORDINATION A substantial amount of underground utility work is expected in the College Street corridor. Our staff will closely monitor utility locates, potholing, excavations, utility adjustments, drainage installation, structural work, and restoration activities. Inspection personnel will verify that excavation limits, utility protection measures, separation requirements, and backfill/compaction operations comply with the contract documents and approved procedures. We will maintain active communication among the City, contractors, utility owners, and affected property owners to identify potential conflicts early, coordinate required outages or relocations, and document field decisions. The abbreviated plans indicate extensive drainage and street-intersection work, including new and modified inlets, storm pipe, manholes, curb and gutter, and adjustments to water valves, water meters, and manhole castings—items that warrant disciplined utility and grade-control inspection. TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC SAFETY Maintaining safe, clear traffic and pedestrian operations will be a central priority for inspections. The Phase III work includes raised pedestrian crossings, intersection improvements, driveway reconstruction, and multiple alley and side-street connections. These activities require close monitoring of temporary traffic control, pedestrian routing, access to homes and businesses, and contractor work-zone protection. Our team will review traffic control implementation before each work stage, conduct routine field observations, and promptly communicate any deficiencies to the contractor. We will pay particular attention to:• Compliance with approved maintenance of traffic plans and applicable standards.• Safe separation of workers, motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and residents from active construction.• Clear signing, barricading, channelization, lighting, and accessible pedestrian detours.• Coordination of driveway closures, alley access, side-street work, concrete-placement operations, and curing periods.• Timely restoration of travel lanes, sidewalks, crossings, and property access. This approach supports the City’s stated goal of maintaining property access to the extent practical while minimizing disruption during driveway removal, installation, and concrete curing. Business Entrance South of Rupel Intersection - Looking NW 7PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE PROJECT APPROACH SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III DOCUMENTATION AND QUALITY CONTROL Our inspection staff is familiar with INDOT’s AWP program and will maintain organized, thorough project records in accordance with INDOT construction administration practices. Daily reports will document labor, equipment, quantities, weather, work locations, traffic control conditions, utility coordination, materials, testing, pay items, discussions, deficiencies, corrective actions, and notable events. We will provide detailed documentation for key construction operations, including subgrade preparation, aggregate placement, concrete paving and sidewalk/trail work, curb ramps, curb and gutter, drainage installations, pavement restoration, lighting, signage, landscaping, and final punch-list completion. Material sampling, testing coordination, and acceptance documentation will be tracked to ensure accurate pay quantities and a complete project record. College and Werwinski Intersection - Looking SW MLK Dream Center at Southern Project Terminus - Looking SE College and Florence Intersection - Looking NW CLIENT COMMUNICATION Video and still photography will be used throughout construction to document existing conditions, work progress, utility conflicts, maintenance of traffic conditions, completed improvements, and any nonconforming work or corrective actions. These visual records will be organized by date and location and made available to the city at all times. Reports derived from the INDOT AWP program can be provided upon request or placed in files available to the City from our server. Our Project Manager will maintain regular communication with City staff and the contractor, providing timely updates on schedule, quality, safety, utilities, and public-access concerns. Issues will be identified and escalated early to protect the project budget, schedule, and public confidence. SJCA staff are accustomed to facilitating regular project meetings at least every two weeks. These meetings will include SJCA staff, City of South Bend representatives, Contractor representatives, and representatives from the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, should they choose to attend, as well as other interested stakeholders who provide valuable project input. The meetings will be used to track project progress; discuss schedule, quality, safety, utility, and maintenance of traffic matters; document decisions and action items; and promptly resolve emerging issues. 8PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE PROJECT EXPERIENCE SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III RANDOLPH COUNTY BRIDGE 110 SJCA served as the prime consultant for the construction inspection of Randolph County Bridge 110. This bridge was unique in that the county desired to retain the existing substructure. However, due to the substructure’s age, weight restrictions became a key concern. To address this, it was necessary to use lightweight concrete suitable for a bridge deck application. This challenge required our construction department to work closely with the design team to ensure a thorough understanding of lightweight concrete’s unique characteristics and the special testing requirements involved. This collaboration was critical to the project’s success, ensuring the bridge met both structural integrity and safety standards. LOWER FALL CREEK TRAIL PHASE II SJCA served as the prime consultant for the Construction Inspection of the Lower Fall Creek Trail and Pedestrian Bridge Phase II project in Indianapolis. As is often the case with trail projects, this one presented a number of unique challenges, particularly with utility coordination and unforeseen issues that arose during construction. Our team had to navigate various complexities, including working closely with utilities and resolving coordination challenges. Additionally, the project required effective communication with a diverse set of residents and property owners adjacent to the trail, each with their own concerns and personalities. HENRY COUNTY SIGN REPLACEMENT SJCA served as the prime consultant responsible for overseeing the installation of roadway signs, verifying that each installation met the required specifications, and completing all associated reports to ensure proper documentation and compliance. The scope of this work requires the inspector to be in constant communication with one of several crews working throughout the county, and to remain flexible in scheduling site visits. The inspector must coordinate effectively and be able to arrive at each location at an appropriate time, adapting to changes as necessary to support ongoing operations and maintain compliance with all required standards. RANDOLPH & FAYETTE COUNTY SIGN INVENTORIES In 2025, SJCA conducted comprehensive sign inventories across Randolph and Fayette counties to assist local officials in effectively managing their roadway signage. The projects utilized mobile data collection tools to document the location and condition of each sign. Additional attributes such as sign dimensions, road offsets, and post types were recorded to create a thorough and accurate database. Field data was integrated into a GIS platform, producing detailed map layers of all signs within both counties. Reflectivity measurements were taken using a retroreflectometer to aid in safety assessments and maintenance planning. The final deliverables include sortable databases designed to help the counties prioritize signs for repair or replacement. In total, 1,771 signs were inventoried in Fayette County, and 2,259 signs in Randolph County. 9PROJECT MANAGER PROJECT TEAM PROJECT APPROACH PROJECT EXPERIENCE PROJECT EXPERIENCE SJCA INC | CITY OF SOUTH BEND | CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION FOR COAL LINE TRAIL PHASE III I-65/I-70 NORTH SPLIT RECONSTRUCTION SJCA had inspectors on the I-65/I-70 North Split project in Indianapolis beginning in December 2020. Our inspectors and engineers were able to add to their skills and knowledge base on this large-scale project. They performed inspections for many different types of construction disciplines. Long hours and the necessity to move quickly from one construction discipline to another were challenges that the inspection team met with confidence. MARQUETTE MULTI-USE TRAIL SJCA was the prime consultant for the construction inspection for the Marquette Multi-Use Trail located in LaPorte County, Indiana in the town of Michiana Shores. This project posed significant challenges due to the extensive tree removal required, all of which had to be completed within a highly compressed timeline, requiring our inspection staff to be able to disseminate between multiple removal items. There were four trees that the contractor did not necessarily agree with. However, due to a strong desire to protect our client's best interest, we were able to work with the design team and determine that these items were indeed correct in the contract documents. Therefore, our client was not required to stand for an extremely large change order. I-69 FINISH LINE SJCA provided construction inspection personnel for the I-69 Finish Line project, which completed the final connection between Indianapolis and Evansville, Indiana via Interstate. This significant infrastructure project allowed our construction staff to enhance their skills across multiple aspects of construction inspection. The fast-paced nature of the project required our team to perform a wide variety of inspection tasks daily, while simultaneously maintaining meticulous records and upholding strong public relations. This experience further strengthened our team’s capability to deliver high-quality inspection services under challenging conditions. Thank you for your consideration SOUTH STREET RECONSTRUCTION SJCA provided Construction Inspection Services to the City of Greencastle for Contract R-31756 on South Street from US 231 to Zinc Mill Road. This federally-funded project included new full-depth pavement replacement with new curbs, gutters and sidewalks. Installation of new drainage structures, storm and sanitary sewers, water lines, roadway signage and installation of new pavement markings were also included as part of the project. SJCA was responsible for inspection of sanitary sewer relocation, storm sewer construction, subgrade construction, curb and driveway construction, and HMA paving.