Daily News Briefs, August 30, 2024

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Illinois Tollway Highlights Diversity Development Success Story

The Illinois Tollway Authority board approved just one new construction contract at its monthly meeting yesterday. Chicago-based Foundation Mechanics, LLC, received an $8.8 million award to improve the Halsted Street Toll Plaza on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294). The Tollway noted the prime contract is Foundation Mechanics’ first since graduating from the authority’s Small Business Initiative, a program intended to increase opportunities for firms with annual gross revenues of $14 million or less. “We are thrilled when a small business rises and is able to confidently compete for more work and larger [Tollway] contracts,” commented executive director Cassaundra Rouse. “Foundation Mechanics has used both our Technical Assistance Program and our Small Business Initiative to grow its business making today’s contract award a success story for the Illinois Tollway as well.” The $8.8 million contract involves the participation of two certified disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise firms, as well as two certified veteran-owned firms. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)

Chicago Metro Area Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Illinois Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (IL Tollway) Transportation and Infrastructure Leadership And Workforce Diversity

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RiverLink Issues Another Smishing Scam Alert

Yesterday, the RiverLink toll system in metro Louisville issued a consumer alert about a new wave of toll collection smishing texts, WLKY reports. The latest messages bear the toll system’s logo and provide a link to an imposter website with a deceptive address, such as “riverlinks.org.” The article notes, “This is the second time this year that RiverLink has issued a warning to its customers about a texting scam.”

Crime Beat ETC Systems Indiana Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) Kentucky Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges RiverLink Toll System (IN-KY Ohio River Bridges)

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Heavy US Traffic Volume Is Projected Over The Long Weekend Ahead

AAA expects a nine-percent year-on-year increase in Labor Day holiday travel. It adds that lower gas prices may also affect the volume of highway traffic. It’s partnered with INRIX to provide a projection of the weekend’s “worst and best times” to be on the road.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s projection “for the five-day period between Thursday, Aug. 29 and Monday, Sep. 2 is slightly above last year’s total traffic levels (2.84 million) and on par with 2019’s record travel levels (2.89 million).”

WPFO reports  that the Maine Turnpike Authority expects to process more than one million toll transactions from today through Monday.

The West Virginia Parkways Authority, operator of the state’s turnpike, expects to record about 415,000 transactions from today through Monday, September 2. Authority executive director Jeff Miller noted that core maintenance projects deferred during the busy summer travel season, including bridge deck replacements and roadway resurfacing, will resume after this weekend and continue as long as weather permits.

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority advised motorists that construction projects on four of its facilities will impact travel over the weekend. Oklahoma Energy Today reports, that Oklahoma DOT also issued a long list of urban and rural projects that could affect holiday road trips.

Virginia DOT is taking a different approach. It announced the suspension of many construction activities over the weekend and the lifting of lane closures on interstates and other major roads from noon today through noon on Tuesday. “While lane closures will be lifted in most locations” VDOT advised, “motorists may encounter semi-permanent work zones that remain in place during this time.”

American Automobile Association (AAA) Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance INRIX Maine Maine Turnpike Authority Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) Virginia Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) West Virginia West Virginia Parkways Authority (West Virginia Turnpike)

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These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.

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