Committee consolidates and recommends seven engineering items, including multiple contract awards and a $8.65 million change order

At its April 17, 2025 meeting the Planning and Development Oversight Committee of the Toll Highway Authority, Illinois State voted to consolidate engineering agenda items 1 through 7 for committee consideration and recommended placing the consolidated items on the full board agenda.

Bernard Menard, chief engineering officer, presented seven items: three construction contract awards for systemwide pavement, bridge and facility repairs; two change orders/extra work orders tied to the Central Tri‑State Corridor reconstruction and schedule recovery; and two professional‑service supplements for construction management and intelligent transportation system design.

Menard described item 1 as a construction contract award for pavement and structural rehabilitation on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I‑90) between East Riverside Boulevard and Garden Prairie Road. The low bid was reported as $11,085,224.83 and award was recommended to F. H. Passion, S. N. Nielsen and Associates; the presenter said the bidder committed to exceed disadvantaged‑business‑enterprise and veteran goals.

Item 2 covered pavement and structural rehabilitation on I‑90 between Garden Prairie Road and Randall Road; staff reported the low bid at $11,671,000 and recommended award to Plodey Construction, which staff said used bid credits and committed to meet DBE and veteran goals. Item 3 was a facility improvement contract for multiple properties in Downers Grove; staff reported five bids and recommended award to George Sallet Construction Company at $9,087,495.

Menard then described four Central Tri‑State Corridor items. He said the corridor reconstruction has more than half of ongoing work complete, with additional lanes opened on 11 of 22 miles and active work on the I‑290/I‑88 interchange (described in presentation as a roughly $700,000,000 project). Item 5 was a change order/extra work order for $8,650,000 on contract I204533 to "Jude Law Contracting" to recover schedule and to coordinate construction adjacent to the Union Pacific intermodal yard in Northlake; Menard said the work includes construction of four bridges over active freight and commuter lines and requires railroad approval of methods. Item 6 was a professional‑services supplement not to exceed $3,000,000 to HR Green Inc. for extended construction management and inspection under contract I194478. Item 7 was a supplement not to exceed $1,800,000 to Lakeside Engineers LLC to absorb unfinished ITS design work after another consultant ceased operations, so the construction contract can be advertised this summer.

Committee members asked about causes of schedule impacts, procurement competition and commodity pricing risk. Menard and other staff said some delays stemmed from third‑party approvals, a canceled contract award and constrained work zones near transmission lines, rail yards and existing roadways. Staff said DBE and veteran participation commitments are expected to be met across the supplemental work and change orders.

The committee voted to (1) consolidate engineering items 1–7 for committee consideration, and (2) approve placement of those items on the April full board agenda with the committee's recommendation. Both motions were moved and seconded and carried by voice vote. The committee also approved minutes from the March 20, 2025 meeting earlier in the session.

The consolidated package includes multiple construction awards, a major change order to maintain project schedules and two supplements to retain or replace professional services; staff said they will report back on schedule and coordination with rail and other third parties as the corridor work progresses.