The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is seeking a request for qualifications from design‐build firms for the $50 million Route 50 Bridge over Cedar Swamp Creek in Cape May County.
The bridge, part of a coastal evacuation route, will be a fully replaced.
The agency will invite the top firms to submit proposals in June and will award a contract in January 2026.
In August, the agency issued a letter of intent, the first step in the contact-award process, that provided information on the project. The project is the agency’s first using the design-build method.
“Finding innovative ways to deliver transportation projects helps advance Governor Phil Murphy’s vision of a safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation system for all New Jerseyans,” NJDOT Commissioner Fran O’Connor said. “Advertising NJDOT’s first Design-Build project is an important milestone in the implementation of a new way to bid and deliver select capital projects that offer opportunities for collaboration and cost-effective solutions.”
The design-build method streamlines the design and construction process by incorporating both into one contract. Traditional construction projects have separate contracts for each. The method means fewer changes once construction begins and offers opportunities for collaboration and innovation. It also allows the design and construction phases to overlap.