The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved six new construction and professional engineering service contracts totaling nearly $228.7 million at its April 18 meeting, including a $184.6 million contract to reconstruct the northbound Mile Long Bridge on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) — the largest construction contract ever awarded by the Illinois Tollway.
Nearly $375.9 million in construction and professional engineering services contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2019, as part of the eighth year of the Tollway's 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.
To date, nearly $6.7 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois program began in 2012, with more than $1.9 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 68,070 total jobs as of March 2019.
The Mile Long Bridge construction contract approved by the Tollway Board is the first of two construction contracts for work to remove and rebuild the twin bridge structures carrying northbound and southbound traffic as part of the $4 billion Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) project. Construction scheduled for 2019 to 2023 will maintain access for customers with four lanes in each direction throughout the project.
Originally constructed in 1958, the Mile Long Bridge is a critical piece of infrastructure to I-294 as it carries drivers over two major railroads, three water resources and local roads, and over a major distribution center for UPS and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway. Up to 150,000 vehicles travel on the Mile Long Bridge daily.
The contracts approved April 18 include one prime consultant, 12 subconsultants, one prime contractor and 28 subcontractors that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms and two subconsultants, as well as four subcontractors that are certified veteran-owned firms. Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 18 percent to 75 percent per contract and commitments for veteran participation range from 0.6 to five percent per contract.
April construction contracts awarded include:
- A $184.6 million contract to F.H. Paschen S.N. Nielsen & Associates, Chicago, for roadway and bridge construction of the northbound Mile Long Bridge on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
- An $8.2 million contract to F.H. Paschen S.N. Nielsen & Associates, Chicago, for pavement and structural preservation and rehabilitation on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) between Illinois Route 56 and Illinois Route 59.
- A $1.1 million contract to Cardinal State, Lake in the Hills, Ill., for landscaping and planting improvements on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) between the South Beloit Toll Plaza and Riverside Boulevard.
- A $395,900 contract to Native Landscape Contractors, Leland, Ill., for grading and erosion control and repairs on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Dempster Street and Ballard Road.
April professional engineering services contract awarded include:
- A $29.5 million contract with Jacobs Engineering Group, Chicago, for design corridor manager services for I-490 Tollway Project.
- A $5 million contract with Infrastructure Engineering, Chicago, for construction management services upon request on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) and systemwide.
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 seven 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 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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