Summit County and Park City officials want to complete the first phase of the Kimball Junction Transit Center sometime before next winter, something they say would significantly improve the efficiency of the current system.

"It’s all designed and ready to go," said Summit County’s Public Works Director Derrick Radke. "We are really anxious to get it started so we can have this nice new facility to use."

Park City Municipal recently published a notice seeking qualifications from all general contracting firms interested in submitting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) to build the transit center. The notice was posted on Dec. 23 and responses are due by 3 p.m. Jan. 11.

"The purpose of the request to prequalify contractors to ensure that they have had experience with federal projects of at least $2.5 million," Radke said. "Not just anyone can do a federal project because there are so many loopholes and things you have to do. We don’t want this to be someone’s first."

The project will serve as a transit center at Kimball Junction to serve as a bookend for Park City’s Old Town Transit Center. The hub will occupy a three-acre site on Landmark Drive west of the Sheldon Richins Building, on the west side of State Road 224. It will have space for at least 10 buses, a transit center building, plaza, bike racks and 25 parking spaces. The center would be accessed from Landmark Drive.

The Federal Transit Administration awarded Park City Transit a $1.7 million grant last year for the project, which is estimated to cost slightly more than $3 million. Summit County has contributed $900,000 and Park City Transit provided $95,000.

Park City Municipal is administering the request for qualifications because it is the Federal Transit authority grantee, Radke said, before adding that it is "still a county project."

"They got the federal grant and they run the transit service so they will administer the money, but we’ll still manage the project," Radke said.

Groundbreaking on the new Kimball Junction hub was delayed in the fall because the county did not receive the renderings in time to break ground before winter. The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission approved the conditional use permit in June and officials had previously advertised a fall start date and expected completion sometime mid-year 2016.

Radke said he is aware of at least two contractors who had expressed interest in submitting their qualifications.

"I know of a couple that were going to, but don’t have a complete list," Radke said.

Representatives from CRSA Architecture, Park City Transit and Summit County, including Radke and Caroline Ferris, Summit County’s regional transportation director, will review the submittals.

Once the contractors are prequalified, the project will formally open for bidding approximately three to four weeks later. The bids will provide officials with a better indication of the overall costs associated with the project.

"We will break ground as soon as the snow clears," Radke said. "It shouldn’t take more than a few months so we are shooting to start test runs in at the first of October. An actual start date is to be determined because there will probably be a lot of testing, but are hoping it will be ready for the winter switchover."

The project is scheduled to be completed in two phases, with the first phase of construction will include the bus stalls. A second phase would include the transit building, plaza and any additional features.

Summit County officials have long said that the Kimball Junction Transit Center will be an essential component of an ongoing effort to address transportation issues. The transit center is intended to reduce congestion throughout Kimball Junction by shortening bus trips and intercepting drivers on their way into Park City.

"This all just means it’s getting closer," Radke said.

To view the request for a statement of qualifications, go to http://www.parkcity.org/Home/Components/RFP/RFP/22/2339.