The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved three contracts worth $31.1 million for construction management for the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) Rebuilding and Widening Project and design services for the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project as part of the Tollway’s 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than $584.7 million in construction and engineering contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board so far in 2012.
“The vast majority of the contracts we’ve awarded so far this year have helped lay a strong foundation and prepare our agency for $922 million in capital spending planned for 2013,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. "As we look to ramp up construction in 2013, Move Illinois will continue to put people back to work and provide even greater opportunities for businesses to expand and grow.”
The November awards include one prime contractor and 12 subcontractors who are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprises with participation commitments ranging from 26% to 37% per contract. Of the $31.1 million in awarded contracts, $9.4 million or more than 30% is committed to these firms.
Contracts awarded include:
- $20.4 million for design services for the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project from U.S. Rte. 20 to Illinois Rte. 83; and
- A $10.7 million contract to Bollinger, Lach & Associates Inc. for construction management services for the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project between Genoa Road to I-39.
Illinois Tollway professional services contracts are awarded through the qualifications-based selection process (Illinois Public Act 87-673 [30 ILCS 535/1-535/80] Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Qualifications-Based Selection Act), which requires state agencies to select professional architects, engineers and surveyors on the basis of demonstrated competence and professional qualifications, rather than low bid. Staff from the Department of Engineering checks statements of interest to ensure that specified pre-qualifications and documentation are met and then reviews and scores statements of interest based on the selection criteria outlined for each project.
Executives from the Department of Engineering then review the scoring, as well as each firm’s capacity, and identify the top recommended firms per project. To complete the review, a committee of Tollway professionals and independent engineering officials considers the top recommended firms and finalizes the top three firms in ranked order. The Tollway then seeks to negotiate a final contract price with the top-ranked firm.
The Illinois Tollway provides detailed information about current Tollway construction contracts through the Construction Contract Tracker on the Tollway’s website at www.illinoistollway.com and also hosts live webcasts of all construction contract bid openings. Contractors and consultants also can access resources online to help them learn about how to do business with the Tollway, including construction and engineering letting and bidding schedules, professional service bulletins, manuals and construction bid calendars. These resources can be found in the “Doing Business” section of the Tollway’s website.
