More than $6 billion invested since start of Move Illinois Program
Downers Grove, IL, August 23, 2018 — The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors today approved one construction contract and one professional engineering service contract totaling $32 million at its August meeting. Nearly $514 million in construction contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2018, as part of the seventh year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
To date, more than $6 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012, with more than $1.7 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 61,640 total jobs as of July 2018.
“Investing in timely repairs and maintenance on the north Tri-State Tollway (I-94) and Edens Spur allow us to continue to provide reliable service to commuters traveling to and from Lake County,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “Our Move Illinois investments are continuing to ensure well-maintained infrastructure is in place to support the flow of goods and services throughout the region.”
August contracts awarded include:
- A $29.5 million contract to Plote Construction Inc./Peter Baker & Son Company, Hoffman Estates, IL, for pavement and structural rehabilitation on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94) and the Edens Spur Tollway between Half Day Road and the Edens Spur Toll Plaza.
- A $2.5 million contract to T.Y. Lin International Great Lakes, Inc., Chicago, IL, for construction management services along the Tri-State Tollway (I-94) Edens Spur between Half Day Road and the Edens Spur Plaza.
The contracts approved today include 23 subcontractors and five subconsultants that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms as well as one subcontractor and one subconsultant that are certified veteran-owned firms. Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 25 to 33 percent per contract and commitments for veteran participation range from two to six percent per contract.
Illinois Tollway professional engineering services contracts are selected in accordance with 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, rather than low bid. Contract services staff from the Engineering Department checks statements of interest to ensure that specified pre-qualifications and documentation requirements are met. Tollway engineers and managers then review and score statements of interest based on the advertised selection criteria service. Tollway Diversity Department staff also reviews the statements of interest for compliance with advertised diversity criteria. Executives from the Engineering Department then review the scoring, as well as each firm’s capacity, and identify the top recommended firms per project. To complete the selection, a committee of Tollway professionals and independent engineering officials considers the top recommended firms and finalizes the top three firms in ranked order. The Tollway then seeks to negotiate a final contract price with the top-ranked firm. The award of a professional engineering services contract is dependent on approval by the Tollway Board of Directors.
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 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.
About Move Illinois
The Illinois Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, is improving mobility, relieving congestion, reducing pollution, creating as many as 120,000 jobs and linking economies throughout the region. The first six years of Move Illinois are on schedule and within budget, delivering the new Illinois Route 390 Tollway and a rebuilt and widened Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) with its new SmartRoad corridor, as well as opening a new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to I-57. Progress continues on projects addressing the remaining needs of the existing Tollway system, delivering the new I-490 Tollway Project and reconstruction of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and planning for emerging projects.
About the Illinois Tollway
The Illinois Tollway is a user-fee system that receives no state or federal funds for maintenance and operations. The agency maintains and operates 294 miles of roadways in 12 counties in Northern Illinois, including the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88), the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355), the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80) and the Illinois Route 390 Tollway.
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Contact: Dan Rozek