Removal and disposal of trees on state maintained routes within District 5

The Illinois Department of Transportation is requesting bids for removal and disposal of trees on state-maintained routes within District 5, with bids due September 18, 2026. This is an on-call contract with work performed across Cook County and other jurisdictions on an as-needed basis through work orders issued by IDOT, with a contract completion date of August 31, 2027 and an option for one additional year renewal under the same terms and unit prices.

Work includes establishing traffic control, engineer determination of trees to be removed within IDOT right-of-way, tree removal, and disposal. All work occurs within the IDOT right-of-way on state-maintained routes. Tree removal is restricted from April 1 through October 31 except in emergencies. Regulated items including ash trees must comply with emerald ash borer quarantine zone restrictions. Contractors have 14 calendar days after work order authorization to complete regular work, or seven calendar days for emergency work, with liquidated damages of $50.00 per calendar day for overruns. Lane closures must avoid peak traffic periods (6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Payment is made only for actual quantities utilized and accepted as satisfactory. Unit pricing is structured by tree size category (6–16 inches and over 15 inches diameter at breast height), with all traffic control, mobilization, and furnishing costs included in the unit prices. The contract carries prevailing wage requirements and Illinois Works Apprenticeship Initiative requirements for state-funded work. DBE participation goal is 0.00%. Work is funded through IDOT District 5 Construction Funds and governed by the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (Adopted January 1, 2022, Revised January 1, 2026) with supplemental and recurring special provisions. Electronic bids must be submitted to the iCX system by 12:00 p.m. on September 18, 2026.