Illinois Tollway awards nearly $107.5 million in contracts

Downers Grove, Ill. — The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved two new construction contracts and 10 new professional engineering service contracts totaling nearly $107.5 million at its September meeting, including six design contracts to support the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) rebuilding project.

“With planning underway to complete a master plan to guide the rebuilding of the Central Tri-State, the contracts approved today will allow the Tollway to refine the details and evaluate options to address issues that are important to the communities in the area,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Greg Bedalov. “This process includes outreach efforts with customers, communities, businesses and partners to identify regional improvements and move this project forward.”

In April 2017, the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors committed to rebuilding the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Balmoral Avenue and 95th Street and expanding planning for a $4 billion project that will allow the Tollway to increase capacity, reduce congestion and improve travel reliability. Design work and advance construction for the project are anticipated to continue through 2020, with mainline construction scheduled for 2021-2025.

More than $420.9 million in construction and professional engineering services contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board so far in 2017, as part of the sixth year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.

To date, more than $4.9 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012, with more than $1.2 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 54,740 total jobs as of August 2017.

September construction contracts awarded include:

• $44.9 million contract to Walsh Construction Company, Chicago, for roadway reconstruction on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between York Road Toll Plaza and the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290).
• $2.6 million contract to Western Utility, University Park, Ill., for systemwide fiber optics relocation work.

September professional engineering services contract awards include:

• $16.1 million contract to Applied Research Associates Inc., Champaign, Ill., for pavement and roadway management services systemwide.
• $10.4 million contract to Alfred Benesch & Company/The Roderick Group, Inc./2IM Group, Chicago, for design services for roadway reconstruction and widening on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between St. Charles Road and North Avenue.
• $10.1 million contract to Strand Associates Inc., Joliet, Ill., for design services for the reconstruction and widening on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between 75th Street and I-55.
• $6 million contract to Hampton, Lenzini & Renwick Inc., Elgin, Ill., for construction management services upon request for the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and I-490 Interchange.
• $5 million contract to A. Epstein and Sons International Inc., Chicago, for design services upon request on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
• $3.5 million contract to Baxter & Woodman Inc., Crystal Lake, Ill., for design services for bridge rehabilitation, repairs and demolition on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
• $2.7 million contract to Rubinos & Mesia Engineers Inc., Chicago, for design services for bridge rehabilitation, repairs and demolition on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
• $2.7 million contract to Quigg Engineering Inc., Jacksonville, Ill., for design services for reconstruction on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) from I-88 ramps to Roosevelt Road.
• $2.1 million contract to Civiltech Engineering Inc./Millennia Professional Services of Illinois, Itasca, Ill., to design a full access interchange at Illinois Route 47 on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88).
• $1.5 million contract to Cotter Consulting Inc., Chicago, for construction management on the reconstruction of ramps connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88).

The contracts approved today include six prime consultants, 28 subconsultants and 22 subcontractors that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms and seven subconsultants and one subcontractor that are certified veteran-owned firms.

Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 13 to 97 percent per contract, and commitments for veteran participation range from 1 to 6 percent per contract. Of the $107.5 million awarded for these contracts, nearly $36.9 million, or 34 percent, is committed to veteran-owned or disadvantaged firms.

Illinois Tollway professional engineering services contracts are awarded through the qualifications-based selection process (Illinois Public Act 87-673 {30 ILCS 535/1-535/80}) Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualifications-Based Selection Act), which requires state agencies to select professional architects, engineers and surveyors on the basis of demonstrated competence and professional qualifications.

Construction contracts for Illinois Tollway projects are competitively bid under the rules of the Illinois Procurement Code. As part of the process, contractors’ bid submissions for construction work advertised by the Tollway are opened and read aloud during public bid opening meetings, which are also broadcast live on the Tollway’s website. Following an agency review process, the lowest, responsible and responsive bid is presented to the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors for review and approval.

The Illinois Tollway provides detailed information about current Tollway construction contracts through the Construction Contract Tracker on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com. Contractors and consultants can also access resources online to help them learn about how to do business with the Tollway, including construction bid-letting schedules, professional service bulletins, manuals and construction bid calendars. These resources can be found in the “Doing Business” section of the Tollway’s website.