DNR Hennepin Canal Levee breach repairs Emergency

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has issued an emergency procurement for engineering and construction services to repair a breach in the Hennepin Canal levee located in Bureau County, Illinois. The breach, approximately 100 linear feet in size, poses an immediate threat to public safety, the state asset, park services, fisheries, and adjacent private property. The IDNR requires the selected vendor to install two earthen coffer dams, a 4-foot diameter culvert several hundred feet long to divert water around the breach, and to restore the embankment and trail. The emergency procurement is necessary to eliminate the threat, prevent further damage, and minimize disruption to state services. IDNR has determined that Civil Constructors, Inc. is the only qualified vendor available to immediately mobilize and undertake the required work, estimated to be completed within 6-8 weeks at a cost of $500,000. Additionally, Willett Hofmann & Associates, Inc. will provide $50,000 in professional engineering services to oversee the construction efforts.

This emergency procurement does not include any set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. The IDNR selected Civil Constructors, Inc. and Willett Hofmann & Associates, Inc. based on their previous experience with similar work in the area. The total estimated cost for this emergency procurement is $550,000, to be funded through state appropriated funds. The procurement was issued on an emergency basis on March 6, 2019, with a due date of May 31, 2019, in accordance with Illinois law.