The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved 13 construction contracts and six professional engineering service contracts totaling nearly $99 million at its June meeting.
More than $471 million in construction contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2018.
This is all part of the seventh year of the tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future, officials say.
To date, a press release says, nearly $6 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012, “with more than $1.7 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms”
In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 59,570 total jobs as of May 2018, the tollway officials say.
Firms get help for bids through Technical Assistance Program
“Investing in technical assistance is building the pipeline of qualified firms to bid on tollway projects,” says Tollway Executive Director Liz Gorman.
“We are seeing firms supported by our program working on projects as subcontractors and some, like Antigua Inc. awarded a contract today, are stepping up to be prime contractors as well.”
The Illinois Tollway’s support for small, disadvantaged and veteran-owned businesses has included the establishment of a Technical Assistance Program to help prepare established transportation-related construction firms to bid and participate on highway and vertical construction contracts.
Working with seven partners, the tollway offers a range of services for businesses at 12 locations across the tollway system.
Since launching the program in 2013, the tollway has served more than 430 unique businesses and individuals with technical assistance partner agencies to offering comprehensive, customized business development assistance helping firms to build financial understanding and business plan development for increased business stability and growth in the transportation-related construction industry.
More than 300 bids total have been submitted by Technical Assistance Program clients, with nearly 70 of those bids on Tollway projects. The bids submitted on Tollway projects have resulted in 23 firms winning bids as prime contractors.
The contracts approved today include four prime contractors, 23 subcontractors three prime consultants and 21 “subconsultants” that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms as well as two prime contractors, five subcontractors and five subconsultants that are certified veteran-owned firms.
Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 10 to 81 percent per contract and commitments for veteran participation range from 0.5 to 8 percent per contract.
Some of the top June construction contracts awarded include:
- A $45.8 million contract to Walsh Construction Company, Chicago, Illinois, for roadway and bridge reconstruction on the Edens Spur Tollway (I-94) between Pfingsten Road and the Union Pacific Railroad.
- A $13.8 million contract to F.H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen & Associates, Chicago, Illinois, for pavement and structural preservation and rehabilitation on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) between Balmoral Avenue and Lake Cook Road.
- A $3.4 million contract to Curran Contracting Company, Crystal Lake, Illinois, for ramp reconstruction on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) at the Orchard Road Interchange.
- A $2.9 million contract to Pacific Construction Services Inc., Chicago, Illinois, for construction of a parking structure at the Downers Grove M-14 maintenance facility on the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355).
- A $2.1 million contract to Fence Masters Inc., Chicago Heights, Illinois, for fencing and site improvements on the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294) between the Waukegan Road Toll Plaza and Touhy Avenue.
Some of the top June professional engineering services contract awards:
- A $6.5 million contract to The Roderick Group, Chicago, Illinois, for systemwide construction management services upon request.
- A $5 million contract to Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Rosemont, Illinois, for planning services upon request on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project between 95th Street and Balmoral Avenue.
- A $3 million contract to Great Arc Technologies Inc., Chicago, Illinois, for technical support and enhancements to the tollway’s infrastructure management system.