The Illinois Tollway board of directors announced earlier in September that it approved 11 construction and professional engineering services contracts totaling more than $103.3 million at its September board meeting. Part of these funds will be used for the construction of a new maintenance facility to serve the eastern end of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. According to the board, this construction project will emphasize sustainability and recycling.
The new Hoffman Estates maintenance site project will include construction of a 95,797-square-foot, single-story building that will serve as a fleet hub, maintenance garage and Illinois State Police office. The new facility is designed to optimize its efficiency to meet expanded system needs, as well as meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for sustainable design and construction.
LEED construction requires reuse and recycling of at least 75 percent of construction waste on-site as well as the use of recycled content and regional materials in the construction of the new facility. In addition, LEED design features for the project include energy-efficient lighting, photovoltaic panels to feed power back into the grid, and electric vehicle charging stations. The use of in-floor hydronic radiant heat and overhead natural gas radiant heat will also be included to further reduce energy costs. Further installation of low-flow fixtures and the placement of landscaping requiring little or no irrigation will help conserve water at the site.
“The Tollway’s maintenance sites are critical to delivering roadway safety and services to our customers, and improvements to these facilities reflect our commitment to the environment,” Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez says. “We understand the importance of incorporating an inclusive strategy that provides green solutions not only in roadway construction, but throughout our operations, as well.”
The contracts approved at the board’s meeting include five prime contractors and consultants and 32 subcontractors and subconsultants that are certified as disadvantaged, minority- and women-owned business enterprise (D/M/WBE) firms and nine subcontractors and subconsultants that are certified veteran-owned firms. Commitments for D/M/WBE participation range from 23.12 percent to 80 percent per contract, and commitments for veteran participation range from 1.64 percent to 10 percent per contract.
Nearly $267.2 million in contracts have been approved by the Tollway board in 2021 as part of the tenth year of the Tollway’s 15-year, $14 billion Move Illinois capital program aimed at roadway restoration. To date, more than $8.9 billion has been invested by the Illinois Tollway since the Move Illinois program began in 2012, with more than $2 billion of that total committed to small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. In addition, the capital program has created or sustained an estimated 98,450 total jobs as of July.