From: Travis Paul

To: Dr. Cox

11 October 2015
ENGL 3880

Request
For
Proposal
The County of Carteret
County Department of Tourism
Travis Paul, Intern
11 October 2015
Re: Request for funding for the planning and construction of a Bridge
The county of Carteret, North Carolina wishes to accept bids for the possible
construction of a bridge linking the mainland to Emerald Isle. The proposed
budget is not to exceed $330,000,000 in total cost with up to $280,000,000
coming from federal and state grants and up to $50,000,000 in county funds.
Although other factors are in play, companies should submit their lowest
bids.
The county retains the rights and privileges. This is to include the right to
accept or reject any proposal at any time.
General Information and Summary

The purpose of this proposal is to entice companies and contractors to

submit bids for the building of the bridge. The current bridge has fallen into
disrepair, and needs either major overhaul or replacement. In addition to
this, it has been well known that the bridge spans a body of water that
contains vital components to the local ecosystem. It is for these reasons that
the county population has elected to construct a new bridge, that will service
both the needs of the county and the community while facilitating a thriving
tourism industry, but also for the needs of the environment and the
ecosystem. The county will require that the construction and design be
overseen by inspectors and engineers to maintain quality.
Contract Specifications and Proposal Guidelines
1. The bridge will span from the mainland to Emerald Isle through the sound
2. Adequate precautions for wildlife need to be taken during construction
and design
3. The construction and design must meet all county, state, and federal
regulations
4. The bridge must be of adequate height to allow passage of boats/ships
under the bridge or have another means of passage (draw bridge, etc.)
5. The bridge must be four lanes, two lanes each direction with eight foot
right shoulders and six foot left shoulders
Project Purpose and Description
The purpose of the bridge is to allow passage of persons, vehicles, etc., to
have access to Emerald Isle from the Mainland of Carteret County. The
current bridge has fallen into disrepair, and needs to be replaced with a more
environmentally friendly design and location. For this reason, the bridge will
now be located in in the sound. As part of the bidding, the responsible
company must be responsible for the flow of traffic to the Island before the
new bridge has been opened. As part of the bid, the company should submit
a plan on how this is to be accomplished. Also included should be the
planned material usage, man hours, experience of the workers, as well as
the insurance coverage information for the company.
Project Scope
The scope of work required will include, but not limited to: designing and
planning of the bridge, ensuring that the materials are safe for the
environment, ensuring continued passage of persons to the Island, staying
within budget limits, meeting proposed time requirements, not using
techniques harmful to the environment, etc., in addition to further needs
assessed in the future.
Bidder Requirements

1. Be fully insured
2. Able to meet all local, county, state, and federal laws, rules, and
guidelines
3. Practice environmentally safe measures
4. Have an in house designing department
5. Meet budget and time restraints

Public Relations Department

Bridge Project Funding Proposal
Travis Paul, Intern
Introduction
As most of Carteret county knows, the construction of the Bridge has been
the talk of local government meetings as of recently. The lowest bid has
been placed by OBX Construction, and thus have been selected. OBX
Construction placed a bid of $330,000,000. As of now, the county has
secured $280,000,000 in state and federal funds in the form of grants or
other means. This leaves $50,000,000 left to be funded by the county. The
current budget forecasted over the construction term of the bridge is
showing that the county is only capable of paying $45,000,000. The purpose
of this proposal is to suggest ways and means of procuring and fundraising
the further needed funds.
Options
1. Borrow the money at less than 8% annual interest, repay through the
use of tolls taken on the new bridge. Toll fares would be $2.00 per
vehicle, and $4.00 for vehicles with 3 or more axles.
2. Increase taxes to the county
3. Raise fares on public transportation
4. Auctioning off of county owned lands
Final Proposal
Although the first option seems as if it is the simplest, it is a gamble based
off of the current number of travelers crossing the current bridge. Even if the
flow increases slightly, the loan would not be fully covered. This option is
however, less invasive than tax hikes or raising fares on public transportation
which is relied heavily on by the less fortunate. Taxes over the past few
years have been steadily increased, leading to the disapproval of some
citizens. Although it would meet some resistance, the raising of taxes in a
plausible means of raising the required funds over the course of the project.
The increases however, would be extreme. Raising fares on public
transportation would raise the least amount of four options. In addition to
not generating enough, if fares were to be raised, a decline in usage of the
public transportation system would be seen, thus decreasing funds, possibly
to the level in which they are at now. The last option is that of selling off
county owned lands. The lands in proximity to the beach have become very
valuable in recent years as there has been an increased appetite for beach
front properties. This option could possibly help in a substantial way.

Although none of these options are appealing to many, it is proposed that

the option to move forward with is a combination of options 1, 2, and 4. The
best route to raise the funds is through a loan, which will be repaid through
money procured through tolls, increased taxes to the county, and the
auctioning off of county lands.
Summary and Goals
The goal of the Bridge project is to replace the current bridge with a new
design that is better for the ecosystem, located in a better location. The
county population voted on this option, and thus reflects the opinions of the
constituents. For this reason, as with any major undertaking, some of the
cost burdens will have to be shared by the tourists and locals alike. If the
required funding is raised through the proposed means, the impact will not
be as cumbersome as some may think, and the cost will be more evenly
spread, allowing more enjoyment of the users of the bridge. The bridge will
bring in more tourists, making the additional expenditures worth it.