32nd Street Underpass Project - Request for Qualifications Owner's Advisor

'Project Description Washougal is a community of 17,390 residents in southwest Washington located on the Columbia River, with its lowlands and famous prairie situated on the western entrance of the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Known as the “Gateway to the Gorge,” Washougal’s setting and proximity to the Portland/Vancouver metro area make it a desirable place to live and work. The City lies approximately 23 miles northeast from Portland, Oregon, 18 miles east of Vancouver, Washington and approximately 180 miles south of the City of Seattle. State Route 14 bisects the City as it heads east into the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area which defines the City’s easternmost boundary and Washougal is immediately east of the City of Camas. Washougal currently occupies a total of approximately 5.7 square miles. 32nd Street is a critical north-south economic corridor for the Washougal community, providing important connections among State Route 14 (SR-14), the Port of Camas-Washougal Industrial Park, Washougal Town Center, and prime undeveloped land. Approximately 1.8 miles in length, the 32nd Street Corridor includes a mix of residential, public space, commercial, and industrial uses. The existing at-grade crossing along 32nd Street is one of the busiest crossings along the BNSF line in the State of Washington with an average of 45 trains operating in the corridor daily and a capacity of 60 trains per day. This configuration has created road-rail conflicts as trains frequently block the crossing, resulting in traffic backing up onto SR14 as far as a quarter of a mile to the south. As a result, access to Washougal Town Center, is indirect and limited, presenting an obstacle to downtown and waterfront revitalization around the Columbia River and the Port of Camas-Washougal jobs center. The City seeks to design and permit 32nd Street Corridor enhancements, including the separation of the dangerous at-grade rail crossing between Main Street/B Street and Evergreen Way. The City has a bold plan to transform this 0.20-mile segment of 32nd Street into a modern, mixed-use roadway with a below-grade rail crossing that will serve the growth needs of the community, reduce congestion hotspots, increase safety, enhance connectivity, and provide multi-modal improvements and opportunities for economically struggling and minority neighborhoods. In addition to the new railroad bridge and underpass, roadway improvements will include a roundabout at 32nd and Main Street/B Street south of the rail underpass, a roundabout at 32nd Street and Evergreen Way north of the underpass, intersection improvements at F Place, E Street, and A Street, and a sidewalk and multi-use path. The 32nd Street underpass also will provide the opportunity for a third BNSF track – requested by BNSF – which will boost freight and economic opportunity the rail corridor. The City hopes to secure the Owner’s Advisor by end of January 2024, with the hope of starting design as early as June or July 2024. The City is anticipating approximately 2 years for full design, right of way, and environmental completion, with construction competition estimated to take 32 months. There are numerous challenges with meeting these deadlines. One of which is navigating the rail authority (BNSF) approval process withing a timely manner. Additionally, the City must acquire properties within the project limits, one of which is an existing gas station. Another area of concern is the public outreach and construction phasing of the project to limit local impacts. Being one of the first and largest Rail Conflict Elimination (RCE) Grants awarded, the City wants to ensure successful and swift completion of the project. In addition to the current funding from the State of Washington and the Federal Rail Administration, the City will request assistance from the OA to seek out and obtain additional funding for the Project. The City has currently received a Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant in the amount of $40,480,000 from Federal Rail Association. In addition, the City also received approximately $8,096,000 in Move Ahead Washington funds from Washington Department of Transportation and $1,900,000 in the 2023-2025 Transportation Budget through Washington Department of transportation. The total available funding for the project to date is $50,476,000, with the last know estimate to be in the $50-$60-million-dollar range. Further project documentation can be found on the City’s website. Throughout the RFQ advertisement, documents may be added and will be up to the bidder to check the website regularly for any additional information. A link to the website is provided below: https://www.cityofwashougal.us/710/Documents-Reports-Presentations