Illinois Tollway helping veterans with free training Dec. 18, Jan. 8

Illinois_Tollway_logoThe Illinois Tollway has an ambitious 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, and it’s helping veterans get involved.

The agency will host four free Veterans Goals Workshops to provide an opportunity for prime contractors, subcontractors and veteran-owned businesses to learn how to identify veteran-owned small businesses or service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses and to prepare bids for upcoming construction contracts related to the Move Illinois program

The Tollway’s Veteran Goals Workshop for Contractors will be held at the Illinois Tollway headquarters, 2700 Ogden Avenue in Downers Grove, with sessions on Dec. 18, 2014, and Jan. 8, 2015, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. CT and from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT

To register for the workshop, or just for more information, click here and go to the Doing Business – Diversity Programs section of the website.

The workshops will be led by the Illinois Tollway Engineering and Diversity and the Strategic Development departments staff. During the workshops, the Tollway Authority says there will be an opportunity to ask questions and learn about documentation for the Veterans Business Program. The workshops will also cover how to find veteran-owned small businesses or service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses.

According to the Illinois Tollway its tentative 2015 Budget includes $1.63 billion for the largest year of capital spending in agency history, including funding for the fourth year of the agency’s Move Illinois Program.

The 2015 Tentative Budget provides $1.56 billion in funding for capital infrastructure projects, including the following:

  • $839.6 million to continue rebuilding and widening the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor,
  • $319.8 million to continue building the new, all-electronic Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project, $107.9 million to resurface the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) from Illinois Route 251 to U.S. Route 30,
  • $19 million to begin design for bridge reconstruction on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80)
  • $6.1 million funding planning studies for the Illinois Route 53/120 Project and other emerging projects.
  • $241.1 million has been budgeted for 2015 for system-wide roadway, interchange and bridge repairs and other work to address the needs of the existing Tollway system.

Through the State of Illinois’ Veterans Business Program, state agencies and universities are encouraged to set goals to collectively help commit 3 percent of purchases statewide to certified veteran-owned businesses, according to the Illinois Tollway.

The agency is evaluating all agency solicitations for inclusion of veteran-owned small business or service-disabled, veteran-owned small business goals. To participate in the Veterans Business Program, firms must be 51-percent owned and controlled by a qualified veteran living in Illinois and be in compliance with the Veterans Small Business Verification Act.