Augusta - The Maine Department of Transportation is constantly working to find new and innovative ways to provide our customers the best overall service across all assets. Our guide post is our Mission Statement, which is ?To responsibly provide our customers the safest and most reliable transportation system possible, given available resources.?
?A big part of our effort is to focus MaineDOT?s internal staffing resources on activities which are most appropriate, efficient and effectively performed by our work force,? said Dale Doughty, Director of Maintenance and Operations of MaineDOT. ?In addition, we seek out contractors for various activities where their expertise can be obtained through a specialized skill set,? Doughty concluded.
On October 28, 2015, a notice to contractors was sent requesting bids to help support MaineDOT in the operation and routine maintenance of the Casco Bay Bridge which links Portland and South Portland over the Fore River.
MaineDOT has reviewed the submitted bid documents and will now begin the award process with FDI Services, Inc., which was chosen based on their bid submission that included qualifications, experience, references and total bid price.
Under MaineDOT?s direct management and initial training, the scope of services performed by FDI Services, Inc. will include operation and routine maintenance of the bridge?s movable components. MaineDOT will continue to perform and/or separately contract for heavy maintenance and improvements to the bridge?s structure.
FDI Services, Inc. is a Florida based company operating along the east coast specializing in moveable bridge operations and maintenance. Since 1997, their experienced team of bridge personnel have operated and maintained over 70 different types of moveable bridges. Currently, they have contracts with state departments of transportation, county, and local governments from the Florida Keys to New Jersey, operating and maintaining 51 bridges.
FDI Services, Inc. has also demonstrated experience and knowledge with the U.S. Coast Guard, the federal regulatory authority over America?s bridges.
Casco Bay Bridge is the largest movable bridge in Maine as it carries between 30,000-35,000 cars per day with peaks as high as 2,500 cars per hour, as well as opening for marine traffic on an average of 2.3 times per day. MaineDOT clearly understands the significance of this bridge to the cities of Portland and South Portland, the Port of Portland and to the traveling public.
Over the upcoming weeks, a contract will be executed with FDI Services, Inc. They will first visit the bridge and meet with MaineDOT?s management team in early January. They will then assign a company supervisor to begin locally seeking employees to staff their operations, including those currently operating the bridge.
Additionally, MaineDOT is working with the current operators to determine potential placement opportunities within MaineDOT, state government as well as in the private sector.
Upon completion of fully staffing the bridge, new employees will undergo joint training and testing with MaineDOT and FDI Services, Inc.
It is anticipated FDI Services, Inc. full transition into operations and routine maintenance will take place in late February or early March of 2016. MaineDOT expects this transition to be seamless to the traveling public.
MaineDOT will continue to oversee the entire bridge operations and performance of FDI Services, Inc. with a MaineDOT supervisor who is based in the Scarborough office.
?MaineDOT will always remain ultimately responsible to both its land and marine based customers, as well as to the U.S. Coast Guard for the safe and efficient operation of the Casco Bay Bridge,? said Doughty.