The Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved 10 new construction contracts and four engineering contracts totaling $105.3 million, including $93.3 million for the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) Rebuilding and Widening Project.
Approval of the December contracts marks completion of the second year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. More than $1.1 billion in construction and engineering contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board in 2013, for a total of nearly $1.8 billion since the Move Illinois Program was approved in 2011. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 9,540 total jobs as of November 2013.
“The Illinois Tollway is keeping drivers moving and businesses working thanks to projects like the I-90 rebuilding and widening,” Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said. “The Tollway is supporting thousands of construction jobs throughout the region and offering all types of businesses the opportunity to participate in the largest capital program in the agency’s history.”
“This year, we broke ground on two major roadway projects—the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project and the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project—and we’ve laid the groundwork to invest $1.4 billion in new capital improvements in 2014,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. "More importantly, the contracts awarded in the second year of the Move Illinois Program are putting people back to work and making improvements that benefit not only the Tollway, but the regional transportation network.”
In all, the Tollway awarded more than 125 contracts to nearly 80 unique construction and engineering firms in 2013. These firms worked on projects including the Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange Project, completed the new Illinois Rte. 47 Interchange on I-90 and began work on the Elgin O’Hare Western Access Project, as well as the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project.
