The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved two construction contracts and three professional engineering service contracts totaling $26.3 million at its September 27th meeting.
Nearly $517 million in construction contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2018, a press release says.
This comes in the seventh year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, “Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future.”
September contract awards include a “Partnering for Growth” agreement, which brings the total to 149 partnerships that have been supported by Tollway contracts.
The Partnering for Growth Program encourages contractors and professional services firms to serve as mentors who can provide meaningful instruction to small and diverse firms. The firms often represent disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise firms and small and veteran-owned businesses.
“Partnering for Growth is the best way for small, disadvantaged and veteran firms with little or no Tollway project experience to learn the ropes on the job from experienced business owners,” says Illinois Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman. “Many of the firms benefitting from our program have not only gone on to be awarded prime contracts with the Tollway, but they also have in turn reached back and mentored other small firms.”
Nearly $6.1 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012. Nearly $1.8 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms.
In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 62,790 total jobs as of August 2018.
September construction contracts awarded include:
- A $2.1 million contract to Meade Inc., McCook, IL, for systemwide closed-circuit television camera and ramp queue detection system installation.
- A $742,459 contract to Fox Excavating Inc., Batavia, IL, for building removal services along the Tri-State Tollway (I-294).
September professional engineering services contract awards include:
- A $19.9 million contract to State Materials Engineering, East Dundee, IL, for systemwide material engineering services.
- A $2.1 million contract to Illinois Construction & Environmental Consulting Inc., Wheeling, IL, for construction management services on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) at the Illinois Route 47 Interchange.
- A $1.5 million contract to STV Inc., Chicago, IL, for design services for the Stearns School Road Bridge on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94).
The Illinois Tollway’s $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.
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.
