ILLINOIS TOLLWAY NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOWNERS GROVE, IL, August 29, 2024 — The Illinois Tollway announced today that a settlement agreement with Judlau Contracting, College Point, NY, has been reached related to the Tollway’s cancellation of a construction contract for work that is part of the I-290/I-88 Interchange Project at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). The agreement settles the dispute to the satisfaction of both parties.
The settlement prioritizes the Tollway’s commitment to motorist safety and the timely continuation of vital construction improvements along the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) corridor and also makes Judlau whole for work already performed.
The Tollway contract, which involved roadway and bridge construction on the southbound side of the I-290/I-88 Interchange, was canceled because a relatively new provision in state law that provides a bid preference for companies based in Illinois was inadvertently excluded from the original contract bid evaluation. If the bid preference had been applied, the contract would have been awarded to Walsh Construction Company II. The agreement will eliminate legal barriers and enable the Tollway to proceed with the project. In addition, it resolves time-consuming and costly litigation.
Both parties agreed to settle the case for $24,985,437, which covers substantial construction costs of approximately $15 million already incurred by Judlau. In addition, the Illinois Tollway will pay Judlau’s subcontractors approximately $6.5 million for work they performed.
The agreement also allows the Tollway to enter into a contract with Walsh and move forward with work as planned for the 2025 construction season to deliver improvements that will reduce congestion, improve safety and address operational issues for the 300,000 vehicles using the interchange daily.
# # #
Media Contact: Dan Rozek