Maryland School for the Blind Campus Site Lighting Underground Electric Feed Upgrades

Background
The Maryland School for the Blind (MSB) is a private, statewide institution established in 1853, serving students with visual impairments and other disabilities across Maryland. The school aims to provide educational opportunities for students aged three to twenty-one.

This contract focuses on upgrading the campus site lighting through the installation of new underground electric feeds, which will enhance safety and reliability for students and faculty.

Work Details
The project involves the installation of new underground electrical conduit and wiring to existing pole-mounted site lights on the Maryland School for the Blind campus. The work includes:

- Abandoning existing direct bury wiring in place.
- Furnishing and installing all necessary components to make the renovated system operable.
- Using nonmetallic PVC schedule 40 for underground conduit.
- Utilizing rigid metal conduit for exposed above ground wiring.
- Employing XHHW-2 type underground wiring.
- Installing polymer concrete junction boxes.

Additionally, compliance with the 2020 National Electric Code is required. Specific tasks include:

- Regrading, seeding, and strawing all lawn areas disturbed during work.
- Ensuring no asphalt or concrete surfaces are cut or damaged.
- Connecting new conduits to existing pole conduits without exposed surface connections.
- Minimizing lighting downtime by notifying MSB 48 hours in advance of outages.
- Demolishing all outlets installed on light poles as part of the work.
- Providing metal cover plates for any holes in pole bases.
- Maintaining a one-year warranty on materials and labor from substantial completion.

There are also several add alternates including relocating light poles, installing new poles, running additional circuits, and potential asphalt cutting.

Period of Performance
The construction period is scheduled from August 1, 2025, to August 22, 2025. Work may also occur during a preparatory period when no students are on campus from June 16 to July 3, 2025.

Place of Performance
The contract will be performed at the Maryland School for the Blind located at 3501 Taylor Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21236.

Bidder Requirements
Contractors must have a minimum of five years’ experience in similar work and have completed at least three similar projects. They must staff the project with an on-site supervisor who has a minimum of five years’ experience. Contractors must also meet specific insurance requirements including:

- Commercial general liability coverage of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate.
- Automobile liability coverage of $1 million combined single limit.
- Workers' compensation coverage of $1 million per incident limit.