RR-25-4999, I-94, I-294, Bridge Rehabilitation, Touhy Avenue to Waukegan Road

The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA) is conducting a sealed bid procurement for Contract RR-25-4999, a bridge rehabilitation project on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294/I-94) spanning from Touhy Avenue to Waukegan Road between I-294 Mile Post 42.1 and I-94 Mile Post 27.8 in Cook County, Illinois. The scope of work encompasses expansion joint gland replacement, structural PPC beam repairs, cleaning and painting of structural steel, bearing replacement, substructure repairs, slopewall repairs, concrete sealing of bridge decks, drainage system cleaning, traffic control and protection services, temporary shoring and cribbing, concrete barrier installation, and various maintenance and rehabilitation activities totaling 15 core work items with quantities ranging from single units to 37,989 square feet. Eligible bidders must be IDOT pre-qualified, registered with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, and maintain an Illinois office as their primary place of business, with joint ventures limited to no more than three individually pre-qualified members. Electronic bids must be submitted via the BidBuy platform by 10:30 a.m. local time on April 3, 2026; an optional pre-bid meeting was held on March 5, 2026, with a final deadline for written questions at 2:00 p.m. on March 13, 2026. Work is scheduled to commence on or about June 15, 2026, with substantial completion by November 30, 2026, and final completion by December 31, 2026. All bidders must submit a bid guaranty equal to five percent of the total bid amount and include required financial disclosures, certification forms, DBE and VOSB utilization plans, and EEO workforce projections; the contract will be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.

This procurement includes specific diversity and participation goals requiring a 13% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program participation rate, a 3.0% Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) goal, and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) requirements with minority employment goals of 19.6% and female employment goals of 6.9% for Cook County workers. Illinois businesses that have been operating and headquartered in the state for at least one year prior to bid advertisement and are subject to applicable state taxes may qualify for a 4% bid preference upon submission of the required Illinois Business Bid Preference Affidavit. All contractors and subcontractors must comply with prevailing wage requirements under the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, and all submissions must be made electronically; paper responses will not be accepted per CPO Notice 2023.12. Performance and Payment bonds equal to the contract price with corporate sureties are required upon award, and the contract includes a two-year expiration date from completion with options for two additional one-year terms or one additional two-year term. The contract budget information indicates a Bid Credit Cap of $70,000 with specific traffic control equipment daily rates and contingency allowances including $25,000 for apprentices, $75,000 for railroad flagging services, and $50,000 for unforeseen additional maintenance of traffic; no current incumbent or specific total contract value was disclosed in the procurement documents.