Daily Herald reports, “The Illinois tollway’s longtime consulting engineer is protesting to state officials that the agency broke the rules when directors rejected renewing AECOM Technical Services’ contract. A majority of tollway directors in October ignored a recommendation from top staff to approve a three-year $43 million contract with Los Angeles-based AECOM, giving no explanation why they were severing a five-decade relationship.” The report adds, “Tollway directors showed a ‘blatant disregard of the law’ and some were ‘openly hostile,’ [AECOM] complaints to the state’s chief procurement officer and Illinois Department of Transportation stated.” Tollway Authority chairman Bob Schillerstrom is quoted as responding, “We followed the law.” The newspaper notes that AECOM has been rated “exceeds expectations” in tollway reviews.
