SB-FP-14-2526 Fitchie Creek Trail Improvements

The Forest Preserve District of Kane County, Illinois, is issuing an Invitation to Bid (SB-FP-14-2526) for Fitchie Creek Trail Improvements, a public works project involving the restoration and enhancement of approximately 2,656 linear feet of an existing limestone hiking trail. The primary objectives include correcting drainage-related deficiencies, repairing eroded sections, improving trail durability, and reducing ongoing maintenance caused by uncontrolled runoff. Deliverables include construction of grade reversals (rolling dips) to divert runoff, regrading of existing trail sections, replacement of limestone screenings, installation of geogrid reinforcement and geotextile fabric in soft or unstable areas, and turf reinforcement matting in steep or high-use grass segments. Qualified contractors must demonstrate experience completing similar trail improvement projects and must provide five professional references detailing past or current projects with verification of on-time and on-budget completion. Contractors must comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, maintain comprehensive general liability insurance with limits of not less than $2,000,000 per occurrence plus three years of continuing completed operations coverage, business auto liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per accident, and workers' compensation insurance as required by statute. An optional pre-bid meeting is scheduled for April 22, 2026, at 9:00 AM CST at the project site (39W933 Russell Road, Elgin, Illinois 60124); questions must be submitted by April 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST, with addenda issued by April 30, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST. Sealed bids must be submitted electronically through the Bonfire online bidding portal by May 7, 2026, at 2:00 PM CST, with bid unsealing at 2:30 PM CST the same day; project award is scheduled for June 9, 2026, and final completion is required by September 1, 2026.

This procurement includes no identified set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, women-owned businesses, or minority-owned businesses based on the available documentation. However, the contract is subject to the Illinois Act on Substance Abuse Prevention on Public Works Projects, requiring all contractors and subcontractors to maintain and file substance abuse prevention programs. Contractors must perform a majority (50 percent or more) of work with their own staff rather than subcontractors, though subcontractors may be utilized and must be identified and documented at the time of bid submission. The project is funded in part by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), a federally supported initiative, requiring all work to comply with applicable RTP requirements, IDNR guidelines, and relevant federal and state regulations. The contract incorporates the Illinois Department of Transportation Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction (adopted April 1, 2016) as the base specification document. No specific contract award value or budget range is disclosed in the bid documents, with the payment amount left blank in the contract draft. Upon award, the contractor must provide a performance bond or irrevocable letter of credit and a labor and materials payment bond, each for 100 percent of the total contract price, with liquidated damages assessed at $500 per day for failure to meet completion dates and $400 per caliper inch for damage to existing trees.