Nearly $5.8 billion invested since start of Move Illinois Program
DOWNERS GROVE, IL, April 26, 2018 — The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors today approved nine construction contracts and two professional engineering service contracts totaling $69.9 million at its April meeting. Nearly $315.4 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.
“The Illinois Tollway is committed to providing opportunities for all types and sizes of businesses as part of the Move Illinois Program,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “The contracts approved today provide for a variety of work that is necessary to keep critical roadways that support the Tollway system, including the Edens Spur and the Veterans Memorial Tollway in good repair.”
To date, nearly $5.8 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012, with more than $1.6 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 58,300 total jobs as of March 2018.
The contracts approved today include two prime consultants, eight subconsultants, one prime contractor and 23 subcontractors that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms and two subconsultants, as well as two subcontractors that are certified veteran-owned firms. Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 12 to 81 percent per contract and commitments for veteran participation range from one to four percent per contract.
April construction contracts awarded include:
- A $49.2 million contract to a joint venture with K-Five Construction, Lemont, IL, and Lorig Construction Company, Des Plaines, IL, for roadway and bridge rehabilitation on the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) between I-55 and Butterfield Road.
- A $2.9 million contract to DeLong’s Inc., Jefferson City, MO, for bridge beam fabrication for reconstruction of the Edens Spur (I-94).
- A $1.4 million contract to Lorig Construction Company, Des Plaines, IL, for roadway and shoulder rehabilitation of the Edens Spur between the Edens Spur Toll Plaza and Pfingsten Road.
- A $1.3 million contract to National Power Rodding Corp., Chicago, IL, for cleaning and televising storm sewers and drainage structures on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between the Aurora Toll Plaza and Illinois Route 59.
- A $1.1 million contract to National Power Rodding Corp., Chicago, IL, for cleaning and televising storm sewers and drainage structures on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Roberts Road and Balmoral Avenue.
- A $1 million contract to Fox Excavating, Inc., Batavia, IL, for building removal and board-up services on I-294 between LaGrange Road and I-55.
- A $350,794 contract to Rausch Infrastructure, Chicago, IL, for bridge deck sealing on northbound I-355 between I-80 and I-55.
- A $299,380 contract to Rausch Infrastructure, Chicago, IL, for bridge deck sealing on southbound I-355 between I-55 and I-80.
- A $252,883 contract to Lion Construction, Pembroke Township, IL, for mainline bridge sealing on the North Tri-State Tollway (I-94) between Russell Road and Townline Road.
April professional engineering services contract awards include:
- A $7 million contract to Thomas Engineering Group, Oak Park, IL, for construction management services for Edens Spur (I-94) roadway and bridge reconstruction.
- A $5 million contract to Gonzalez Companies and J.A. Watts Inc., Chicago, IL, for systemwide construction management services upon request.
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 interstate tollways 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