Bentonville seeks a road builder early; XNA and Johnson bids are open

Bentonville is looking for a construction manager before a group of road projects reaches the construction stage. XNA needs more fuel-storage capacity, and Johnson has put street resurfacing out for bid. This week's opportunities reach from estimating and utility coordination to concrete, electrical work and pavement markings.

We also have a Springdale electrician opening with posted pay, a local work-zone certification class, two business workshops and a small electrical check worth doing before the holiday decorations go up.

The City of Bentonville is seeking a construction manager at risk for East Battlefield and adjacent roadway improvements, with statements of qualifications due Monday, November 16, at 2 p.m. Central. The request was released October 18.

The work spans East Battlefield Boulevard, East Central Avenue, SE Moberly Lane, Water Tower Road and selected nearby connections. The city describes multiple improvement packages covering roads, roundabouts, drainage, utilities and traffic improvements. Read the city's solicitation.

The first assignment is preconstruction. Bentonville wants contractor input on whether the designs can be built efficiently, what they will cost, how to phase the work and how to keep traffic moving. Utility coordination, relocation sequencing, early procurement, schedule review and development of a guaranteed maximum price are also part of the assignment. Construction services may be authorized later.

That puts the immediate opportunity with firms that can show heavy civil, roadway and utility experience, along with a record of managing design-stage costs and construction risks. The city will also weigh the proposed team's availability, safety record, financial strength, bonding capacity and references. This is a qualifications-based selection.

For specialty crews: the scope gives drainage, utility, paving and traffic-control firms a useful project to follow as the construction manager is selected and individual packages develop. The current request selects the manager; it does not advertise separate subcontract packages.

Look for RFQ-26-76 on the city's Beacon page. Written questions are due October 30. The contact is Ted Vuong at [email protected]. The city provides the RFQ and concept exhibits through its free document-request form. Bentonville's official bid portal.

Wednesday, November 11, 11 a.m. Central: the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority is taking bids for Phase II fuel-facility work at XNA, including two 192,500-gallon aboveground Jet A tanks.

The scope includes grading, reinforced-concrete tank foundations, containment, fuel-transfer piping, pumps, filtration, electrical systems and controls. The specifications also call for fuel-system testing and commissioning. Firms with concrete, process-piping or industrial electrical experience have several parts of this package to examine.

Deliver bids to the airport administration office, One Airport Boulevard, Suite 100, Bentonville, AR 72713. The October 20 pre-bid meeting was optional. McClelland Consulting Engineers lists documents at $22, under Quest project 10364706. Prime bidders must obtain the package through MCE's online plan room to join the planholders list and receive addenda. MCE's current bids and public document preview.

Thursday, November 5, 2 p.m. Central: Johnson's City Street Overlay and Striping Improvements covers sections of Johnson Mill Boulevard, 48th Street, Ball Street, Main Drive, Wilkerson Street, Joyce Boulevard, Carley Road and Elmore Street.

The work includes two-inch asphalt milling and overlay and/or pavement markings, with an allowance for full-depth reconstruction of badly deteriorated areas as directed in the field.

Sealed bids go to Johnson City Hall, 2904 Main Drive, Johnson, AR 72704. Documents cost $22 through MCE's Current Bids link, under Quest project 10412159. Prime bidders must download through that plan room and acknowledge the issued addenda in their proposal. Open the engineer's bid board.

Siloam Springs voters will decide November 3 whether to authorize up to $55 million in bonds for wastewater-treatment and collection-system improvements.

The proposal would replace an existing 0.625% sales and use tax after the current tax terminates. The city says the replacement would keep that portion of the sales-tax rate unchanged and repay the wastewater bonds.

The proposed uses include treatment-plant improvements, collection-system work and rehabilitation or replacement of aging infrastructure. The city will set individual projects and timing according to needs, priorities and available funding. Approval would authorize a funding source, with bonds potentially issued in stages. For utility contractors, this is a project pipeline to watch as the city makes those decisions. The city's explanation.

Burnett Home Improvement has announced a larger Springdale showroom with window, door and bath displays. Its community ribbon cutting is Thursday, October 29, at 3 p.m., at 3744 Wagon Wheel Road, Suite C.

For homeowners planning a project, it is a chance to compare materials in person. For people in the remodeling trade, it is a local business opening to have on the calendar. Showroom and event details.

Multi-Craft Contractors is recruiting a Journeyman Service Electrician in Springdale at $30-$38 an hour. The role involves commercial and industrial troubleshooting, repairs, installations and preventive maintenance, including motors, starters, relays and controls.

Applicants need an Arkansas journeyman license, a high school diploma or equivalent, commercial or industrial electrical experience and a valid driver's license. PLC and industrial-controls experience is preferred. Read the job and apply.

AGC Arkansas will hold Traffic Control Specialist with Flagger Certification on Monday, November 2, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 3608 N. Steele Boulevard in Fayetteville.

The course costs $250 for members or $400 for nonmembers, with lunch included. The authorized-flagger portion follows lunch and covers basic work-zone setup, two-lane-road flagging and pilot-car operations. The advanced portion is intended for experienced workers; two to three years of work-zone responsibility is preferred, with the experience prerequisite at the employer's discretion. Course details and registration.

November 4, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: The Basics of Small Business Taxes. Diane with Grass Roots Taxes will cover filing, recordkeeping, accounting and pricing at Fayetteville Public Library's Walker Community Room, third floor, 401 W. Mountain Street. Registration is open. A useful evening for an owner who handles estimates all day and the books after dinner. Register.

November 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Telling Your Brand Story Through Video. Jessica Whalen's workshop at Fayetteville Public Library covers video strategy, content and what to say on camera. It meets in the third-floor Computer Training Lab at 401 W. Mountain Street. Registration is open. For a trade business, a clear explanation of the work can be more useful than another polished slogan. Register.

Before the porch fills with holiday lights, give its electrical protection a check. A ground-fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, helps protect people from electrical shock. The familiar TEST and RESET buttons give you a way to check its operation.

Follow the device manufacturer's instructions. For a receptacle test, plug in a small lamp and turn it on. Press TEST: the lamp should go out. Press RESET: power should return. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends testing GFCIs monthly.

If the test does not cut power, or the outlet will not reset, stop using it and have a qualified electrician inspect it. Leave outlet replacement and wiring repairs to the electrician. If an outdoor outlet lacks visible buttons, its protection may be upstream; have that protection identified rather than assuming it is absent.

While you are there, inspect the weather cover and cords. Keep connections dry, use cords marked for outdoor use, and replace damaged cords. For landlords and property managers, add the test date and any repair needed to the maintenance record. CPSC's home electrical checklist.

Have a job opening, a project milestone or a class that would help a local crew? Reply with the details. We want to hear about the work happening across Northwest Arkansas.

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Levi Pittenger
Publisher, The NWA Trade Guide

Publisher affiliations: Comfort Control and Ambassador Home Maintenance.