Design-Build Services for the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization Project, El Paso, Texas

The Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization Project in El Paso, Texas, is a negotiated, best-value design-build procurement funded under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The project involves the complete replacement of all existing site buildings with state-of-the-art facilities, including 35 primary inspection lanes with canopies, regular and hardened secondary inspection areas, a trusted traveler building, a narcotics vault, canine enforcement and kennel spaces, and a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration bus inspection facility. The scope encompasses all architectural and engineering services, demolition, site planning, utility relocation, and construction, with a specific requirement to incorporate the Art in Architecture Program and Design-Construction-Operational Excellence policies. The resulting contract will be firm-fixed-price, with a performance period of 1,632 calendar days and an estimated project value ranging from 400 million to 460 billion dollars. The procurement follows a two-phase selection process, with Phase 2 proposals due by October 15, 2026, and an anticipated award date in January 2027. Evaluation is based on a best-value tradeoff where non-price factors are significantly more important than the total evaluated price; these factors include the quality of the design concept (45%), qualifications and experience of key personnel (25%), management and technical approach (25%), and small business participation (5%). All identified key personnel must attend the final oral presentation in person. The project must adhere to the 2026 PBS Core Building Standards and high-performance facility definitions set by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Additionally, the contract mandates strict adherence to Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) safeguarding, Davis-Bacon wage requirements, and specific small business subcontracting goals.