ECS-GEC JV-2 Wins $20 Million Army Corps Inland Navigation Planning Contract

ECS-GEC JV-2 of Metairie, Louisiana, has won an up to $20 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contract for architecture, engineering and planning services related to inland navigation and water resources. The Huntington District will administer the small-business set-aside contract for work that may serve districts across the Corps’ Great Lakes and Ohio River Division. Work locations will be determined as orders are issued, and the estimated completion date is Oct. 12, 2031.

Inland Navigation and Water Resources Planning Services Details

Under the work description, ECS-GEC JV-2 may develop water-resources and navigation studies, including transportation-system models, estimates of navigation benefits and economic impacts, and analyses of freight rates and costs. The scope also covers projections of bulk, neobulk and container traffic; inventories and forecasts of shallow- and deep-draft fleets; and surveys of shippers and carriers.

For individual planning assignments, the joint venture may identify and evaluate alternatives, estimate their costs, analyze risk and uncertainty, and prepare feasibility reports or preliminary concept plans. Other potential work includes discrete-event simulations of freight transportation features, intermodal operations planning, and investigations of industrial and port sites. The solicitation covers assignments within the division’s Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, Huntington, Louisville, Nashville and Pittsburgh districts.

The scope extends beyond freight analysis to environmental impact and biological assessments, evaluations of historic and cultural resources, watershed planning and ecosystem restoration measures. ECS-GEC JV-2 may also manage geospatial data and planning databases, assess recreation demand, and compile damage information after floods. The Corps will define the work required through individual orders.

Award and Contractor Background

The Corps solicited one bid and received one. The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract provides for separately negotiated, firm-fixed-price orders rather than a single project with a predetermined work site. The solicitation said the architect-engineer selection would be based on demonstrated competence and qualifications, including experience in water-resources planning, environmental assessment and economic analysis.

This award was disclosed by the DoW in its daily press release. Additional contract details will be available on HigherGov in approximately 90 days under W9123727DA001 after the contract is formally disclosed by the government.