Illinois interesting bid annoucements

[Revive 755]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 16 demolishes a few houses in Barrington for the future US 14 grade separation with the CN/ex EJE Railroad

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

* Items 64 and 65 reconstruct Plum Grove Road in Schaumburg from IL 72 north to the north end of the road next to I-90.

(edited to fix link)

[ilpt4u]

Wow. The Barrington Canadian National/Northwest Highway/US 14 grade separation is going to actually happen? I lived in that area 10 years ago, and they were talking then like it would happen within a year...

[Rick Powell]

Wow. The Barrington Canadian National/Northwest Highway/US 14 grade separation is going to actually happen? I lived in that area 10 years ago, and they were talking then like it would happen within a year...

From what I understand, Barrington wanted the CN to pay for the overpass similar to the US 34 and US 30 overpasses that were stipulated by the Surface Transportation Board to be primarily funded by CN as a condition orf its takeover of the former EJ&E Ry. Didn't happen that way, and it took some time for the funding split to be worked out and funded.

[inkyatari]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

[edwaleni]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

[inkyatari]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

[edwaleni]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

The I-55 bridge over the Des Plaines River (sometimes known as the Smith Bridge) was built in 1957 as part of the reroute of US-66.

The area where I hit the pothole was south of that bridge but before the original Arsenal Road exit. So the road/creek bridge was approximately 26 years old when the pothole formed. The bridge had a small crest to it which was the norm for highway construction in 1956 when it was US-66.

When the road was replaced (ultimately by the Arsenal Road exit relocation) IDOT removed the crest and installed a simple 2 tube metal culvert.

Since modern highways have pitch at build now, drainage of the area is not an issue.

Obviously because I was nearly killed there I am more accutely aware of its comings and goings.

The bridge itself has been updated 3 or 4 times since it was built but the last one was in 2004.  It is 60 years old now and seen a great deal of use in its life. The constant use of salt to de-ice the road has probably driven the constant rebuilds.

[inkyatari]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

The I-55 bridge over the Des Plaines River (sometimes known as the Smith Bridge) was built in 1957 as part of the reroute of US-66.

The area where I hit the pothole was south of that bridge but before the original Arsenal Road exit. So the road/creek bridge was approximately 26 years old when the pothole formed. The bridge had a small crest to it which was the norm for highway construction in 1956 when it was US-66.

When the road was replaced (ultimately by the Arsenal Road exit relocation) IDOT removed the crest and installed a simple 2 tube metal culvert.

Since modern highways have pitch at build now, drainage of the area is not an issue.

Obviously because I was nearly killed there I am more accutely aware of its comings and goings.

The bridge itself has been updated 3 or 4 times since it was built but the last one was in 2004.  It is 60 years old now and seen a great deal of use in its life. The constant use of salt to de-ice the road has probably driven the constant rebuilds.

OK, I'm thinking of the bridges over the tracks and creek to the north of the River Rd. exit.

[edwaleni]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

The I-55 bridge over the Des Plaines River (sometimes known as the Smith Bridge) was built in 1957 as part of the reroute of US-66.

The area where I hit the pothole was south of that bridge but before the original Arsenal Road exit. So the road/creek bridge was approximately 26 years old when the pothole formed. The bridge had a small crest to it which was the norm for highway construction in 1956 when it was US-66.

When the road was replaced (ultimately by the Arsenal Road exit relocation) IDOT removed the crest and installed a simple 2 tube metal culvert.

Since modern highways have pitch at build now, drainage of the area is not an issue.

Obviously because I was nearly killed there I am more accutely aware of its comings and goings.

The bridge itself has been updated 3 or 4 times since it was built but the last one was in 2004.  It is 60 years old now and seen a great deal of use in its life. The constant use of salt to de-ice the road has probably driven the constant rebuilds.

OK, I'm thinking of the bridges over the tracks and creek to the north of the River Rd. exit.

You are thinking of Grant Creek and the bridge over the BNSF just south of Blodgett Road.

I am familiar with that bridge.

The creek bridge where my motorcycle met its demise feeds that same creek.

I can only assume that bridge was built in 1957 along with the rest of the US-66 re-route.

[ChiMilNet]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

The I-55 bridge over the Des Plaines River (sometimes known as the Smith Bridge) was built in 1957 as part of the reroute of US-66.

The area where I hit the pothole was south of that bridge but before the original Arsenal Road exit. So the road/creek bridge was approximately 26 years old when the pothole formed. The bridge had a small crest to it which was the norm for highway construction in 1956 when it was US-66.

When the road was replaced (ultimately by the Arsenal Road exit relocation) IDOT removed the crest and installed a simple 2 tube metal culvert.

Since modern highways have pitch at build now, drainage of the area is not an issue.

Obviously because I was nearly killed there I am more accutely aware of its comings and goings.

The bridge itself has been updated 3 or 4 times since it was built but the last one was in 2004.  It is 60 years old now and seen a great deal of use in its life. The constant use of salt to de-ice the road has probably driven the constant rebuilds.

OK, I'm thinking of the bridges over the tracks and creek to the north of the River Rd. exit.

You are thinking of Grant Creek and the bridge over the BNSF just south of Blodgett Road.

I am familiar with that bridge.

The creek bridge where my motorcycle met its demise feeds that same creek.

I can only assume that bridge was built in 1957 along with the rest of the US-66 re-route.

In short, it's just baffling that both those sets of bridges haven't been replaced at this point. Replace those bridges and widen I-55 to three lanes each way at least to a little South of Arsenal Road interchange.

[edwaleni]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

* Item 59 constructs median crossovers for I-55 north and south of the BNSF and Grant Creek bridges between the Arsenal Road and River Road interchanges.

Are they going to finally replace those fucking bridges over the creek and tracks?  THey needed to be replaced 30 years ago.

I know I was nearly killed in 1983 on I-55 NB just before Arsenal Road when my motorcycle hit a pothole where a creek bridge met the pavement. Since it was nighttime my headlight didnt catch it until after it was too late to manuever and I hit it directly.

It threw me a foot up in the air and I landed back on top of my bike with my toes dragging on the asphalt.

Both my tires were blown out, my wheels were bent and I was lucky to get home alive.

I called IDOT and warned them about what happened but they didn't care. I came back through in my car a month later and the pothole was still there, just bigger.  You could see where people were getting tire blowouts and were out changing them.

It was patched 2 months after. The creek bridge was finally removed in 1992.

I thought the bridges were a lot older than that.  Wow.

The I-55 bridge over the Des Plaines River (sometimes known as the Smith Bridge) was built in 1957 as part of the reroute of US-66.

The area where I hit the pothole was south of that bridge but before the original Arsenal Road exit. So the road/creek bridge was approximately 26 years old when the pothole formed. The bridge had a small crest to it which was the norm for highway construction in 1956 when it was US-66.

When the road was replaced (ultimately by the Arsenal Road exit relocation) IDOT removed the crest and installed a simple 2 tube metal culvert.

Since modern highways have pitch at build now, drainage of the area is not an issue.

Obviously because I was nearly killed there I am more accutely aware of its comings and goings.

The bridge itself has been updated 3 or 4 times since it was built but the last one was in 2004.  It is 60 years old now and seen a great deal of use in its life. The constant use of salt to de-ice the road has probably driven the constant rebuilds.

OK, I'm thinking of the bridges over the tracks and creek to the north of the River Rd. exit.

You are thinking of Grant Creek and the bridge over the BNSF just south of Blodgett Road.

I am familiar with that bridge.

The creek bridge where my motorcycle met its demise feeds that same creek.

I can only assume that bridge was built in 1957 along with the rest of the US-66 re-route.

In short, it's just baffling that both those sets of bridges haven't been replaced at this point. Replace those bridges and widen I-55 to three lanes each way at least to a little South of Arsenal Road interchange.

I suppose you mean stuff like this?

[inkyatari]

In short, it's just baffling that both those sets of bridges haven't been replaced at this point. Replace those bridges and widen I-55 to three lanes each way at least to a little South of Arsenal Road interchange.

I suppose you mean stuff like this?

More like this, but 10x worse in the two years since Street View went through there...

https://goo.gl/maps/UoMt2CidcYP2

[Brandon]

In short, it's just baffling that both those sets of bridges haven't been replaced at this point. Replace those bridges and widen I-55 to three lanes each way at least to a little South of Arsenal Road interchange.

I suppose you mean stuff like this?

More like this, but 10x worse in the two years since Street View went through there...

https://goo.gl/maps/UoMt2CidcYP2

That's the one that had the hole open up in the southbound lanes, IIRC, last year.

[inkyatari]

In short, it's just baffling that both those sets of bridges haven't been replaced at this point. Replace those bridges and widen I-55 to three lanes each way at least to a little South of Arsenal Road interchange.

I suppose you mean stuff like this?

More like this, but 10x worse in the two years since Street View went through there...

https://goo.gl/maps/UoMt2CidcYP2

That's the one that had the hole open up in the southbound lanes, IIRC, last year.

Yep, that's the one.  As soon as I figure out my new action cam, I'm planning on getting a video of I-55 from Weber Rd. down to those bridges.

It's not pretty.

[Brandon]

Yep, that's the one.  As soon as I figure out my new action cam, I'm planning on getting a video of I-55 from Weber Rd. down to those bridges.

It's not pretty.

No, it's definitely not.  There are several patches on both side (nbd & sbd) that have had decent sized potholes just open up.  Even IDOT's patchwork is crumbling.

[edwaleni]

Yep, that's the one.  As soon as I figure out my new action cam, I'm planning on getting a video of I-55 from Weber Rd. down to those bridges.

It's not pretty.

No, it's definitely not.  There are several patches on both side (nbd & sbd) that have had decent sized potholes just open up.  Even IDOT's patchwork is crumbling.

Take your camera underneath the bridge. What you are driving on looks better than what you see underneath I would imagine.

[Rick Powell]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Highlights

Missed a big one. 2nd item is 1.4 miles of reconstruction on I-80 from 1.1 miles west of US 30 to 0.3 miles east of US 30; reconstruction of I-80 at US 30 interchange; reconstruction of 0.5 miles of US 30 including re-decking and partial bridge replacement of I-80 over US 30, Metra Railroad and Hickory Creek within the Village of New Lenox. Not 100% sure but I think it fixes the lane drop before the interchange on the east, moving it near the new overhead trail bridge 0.3 miles to the west (for the time being).

[paulthemapguy]

List of projects for the August 3, 2018 Letting is up.

Missed a big one. 2nd item is 1.4 miles of reconstruction on I-80 from 1.1 miles west of US 30 to 0.3 miles east of US 30; reconstruction of I-80 at US 30 interchange; reconstruction of 0.5 miles of US 30 including re-decking and partial bridge replacement of I-80 over US 30, Metra Railroad and Hickory Creek within the Village of New Lenox. Not 100% sure but I think it fixes the lane drop before the interchange on the east, moving it near the new overhead trail bridge 0.3 miles to the west (for the time being).

Oh my god.  If you look at the pay item list, some entity (I'm guessing the village) specified exactly what species of trees to use for the landscaping.  And on a broader scale--any pay item with a letter at the start of the code is a special item not typical to the already expansive list of IDOT's coded pay items.  In other words, they are special requests atypical to normal IDOT work.

LOOK AT ALL THE SPECIAL PAY ITEMS.  GOOD LORD.  What team of finicky perfectionists put this together?  I know these items weren't the state's idea.

[Revive 755]

Listing of projects for the November 9, 2018 Letting is up

Highlights

* Item 2 signalizes the IL 173/Wilmot Road intersection in McHenry County

* Item 3 is more work at the Circle Interchange

* Item 8 converts the IL 47/Plato Road interchange intersection to a roundabout

* Item 45 includes interchange reconstruction and bridge replacement on the US 20 bypass of Rocford - appears to be around the IL 2 interchange

* Item 59 widens I-57 4.4 miles in Franklin and Williamson Counties

* Item 81 includes upgrading traffic signals on Randall Road from Silver Glen Road to the McHenry County border (appears to be another flashing yellow arrow project)

* Item 83 is another contract for Longmeadow Parkway, this time for work at IL 25

[paulthemapguy]

* Item 8 converts the IL 47/Plato Road interchange to a roundabout

Oh god...don't tell me Illinois is going to start doing what Wisconsin does and start putting roundabouts on major highways in the middle of nowhere.  IIRC that's a 4-way stop right now...also something I'm not a fan of, when one road has much more traffic than the other.

* Item 81 includes upgrading traffic signals on Randall Road from Silver Glen Road to the McHenry County border (appears to be another flashing yellow arrow project)

I'm interested in why this required an IDOT letting, if this is a Kane County highway.  Kane County is using federal money to convert its signals?  I wonder what's the basis for the use of federal money, if so.

[ET21]

Listing of projects for the November 9, 2018 Letting is up

Highlights

* Item 45 includes interchange reconstruction and bridge replacement on the US 20 bypass of Rocford - appears to be around the IL 2 interchange

Expected, they recently re-did the river bridges between IL-251 and IL-2. Now it'll be the interchanges turn for new bridges

[inkyatari]

* Item 8 converts the IL 47/Plato Road interchange to a roundabout

Oh god...don't tell me Illinois is going to start doing what Wisconsin does and start putting roundabouts on major highways in the middle of nowhere.  IIRC that's a 4-way stop right now...also something I'm not a fan of, when one road has much more traffic than the other.

Oh dear lord.  It's just a couple miles north of the other pointless roundabout on 47.

[Brandon]

* Item 8 converts the IL 47/Plato Road interchange to a roundabout

Oh god...don't tell me Illinois is going to start doing what Wisconsin does and start putting roundabouts on major highways in the middle of nowhere.  IIRC that's a 4-way stop right now...also something I'm not a fan of, when one road has much more traffic than the other.

Oh dear lord.  It's just a couple miles north of the other pointless roundabout on 47.

Why not just bite the bullet and widen IL-47 to four lanes?  Of course, we are discussing IDiOT here.

[Rick Powell]

Why not just bite the bullet and widen IL-47 to four lanes? 

On the way to my Metra train this AM, I went on the section of IL 47 four-lane from I-80 to Caton Farm Road south of Yorkville. It's about 90% complete, with a short gap of paving on the north end for the future NB lanes and some shoulder work, installing signals at US 52, and a few other odds and ends. It will be about 12 miles of new 4-lane when fully open, probably late this fall. District 1 also programmed a 4-lane section between Galena Road (about a mile south into Kendall County) and Sugar Grove for construction, so at least it is on the horizon. And the Tollway will construct a respectable length of IL 47 to four-lanes when they redo the I-88 interchange.

[ET21]

Why not just bite the bullet and widen IL-47 to four lanes? 

On the way to my Metra train this AM, I went on the section of IL 47 four-lane from I-80 to Caton Farm Road south of Yorkville. It's about 90% complete, with a short gap of paving on the north end for the future NB lanes and some shoulder work, installing signals at US 52, and a few other odds and ends. It will be about 12 miles of new 4-lane when fully open, probably late this fall. District 1 also programmed a 4-lane section between Galena Road (about a mile south into Kendall County) and Sugar Grove for construction, so at least it is on the horizon. And the Tollway will construct a respectable length of IL 47 to four-lanes when they redo the I-88 interchange.

Not sure how far north they'll go, but the southern end from I-88 to Waubonsee will likely be done. They have a short 4-lane segment from Waubonsee to Cross St in Sugar Grove