Illinois interesting bid annoucements

[Rick Powell]

Interesting note from that July list...
- US 52 in Kendall County between Ridge Rd and Route 47 shoulder widening.
Could this be a possible a precursor of making 52 a 4 lane road or a resurface project?

Not likely (I am ex-IDOT District 3). This looks like a safety project. The same thing was done on Illinois 71 several years ago in 2 sections, from La Salle County to Yorkville. High traffic volumes, narrow shoulders, need more space for disabled vehicles and traffic enforcement.

Eventually when Joliet and/or Shorewood build out into Kendall County along US 52, it will likely be 4-laned. Joliet had a master plan (probably 15 years old at this point) that included several square miles in that vicinity being urbanized and roads upgraded, but most of it so far has been to the north along Ridge Road, around Theodore Street and Caton Farm Road.

[ChiMilNet]

Interesting note from that July list...
- US 52 in Kendall County between Ridge Rd and Route 47 shoulder widening.
Could this be a possible a precursor of making 52 a 4 lane road or a resurface project?

Not likely (I am ex-IDOT District 3). This looks like a safety project. The same thing was done on Illinois 71 several years ago in 2 sections, from La Salle County to Yorkville. High traffic volumes, narrow shoulders, need more space for disabled vehicles and traffic enforcement.

Eventually when Joliet and/or Shorewood build out into Kendall County along US 52, it will likely be 4-laned. Joliet had a master plan (probably 15 years old at this point) that included several square miles in that vicinity being urbanized and roads upgraded, but most of it so far has been to the north along Ridge Road, around Theodore Street and Caton Farm Road.

Interestingly, the growth in that area has slowed a lot in the past decade. Honestly, it's probably not been the worst thing at least from an infrastructure standpoint, as things are somewhat starting to catch up to be able to meet current capacity needs.

[Brandon]

Interesting note from that July list...
- US 52 in Kendall County between Ridge Rd and Route 47 shoulder widening.
Could this be a possible a precursor of making 52 a 4 lane road or a resurface project?

Not likely (I am ex-IDOT District 3). This looks like a safety project. The same thing was done on Illinois 71 several years ago in 2 sections, from La Salle County to Yorkville. High traffic volumes, narrow shoulders, need more space for disabled vehicles and traffic enforcement.

Eventually when Joliet and/or Shorewood build out into Kendall County along US 52, it will likely be 4-laned. Joliet had a master plan (probably 15 years old at this point) that included several square miles in that vicinity being urbanized and roads upgraded, but most of it so far has been to the north along Ridge Road, around Theodore Street and Caton Farm Road.

Interestingly, the growth in that area has slowed a lot in the past decade. Honestly, it's probably not been the worst thing at least from an infrastructure standpoint, as things are somewhat starting to catch up to be able to meet current capacity needs.

It slowed from 2008 to 2012 or so.  It's picked back up, just not as fast as before.  And it's still growth, unlike DuPage and Cook Counties.

[Revive 755]

The plans are up for the IL 15 signal project in Mt. Vernon.  It is indeed a FYA project.  After this project (and whenever the Decatur FYA project gets acceptable bids - it's being rebid again on the July 2020 Letting) this leaves only District 1, 3, and 8 without FYA's on IDOT roadways.

[ChiMilNet]

The plans are up for the IL 15 signal project in Mt. Vernon.  It is indeed a FYA project.  After this project (and whenever the Decatur FYA project gets acceptable bids - it's being rebid again on the July 2020 Letting) this leaves only District 1, 3, and 8 without FYA's on IDOT roadways.

I wouldn't hold my breath on D1 (or City of Chicago, for that matter) getting one anytime soon. It'd be interesting to see how well they take in D1.

[ilpt4u]

The plans are up for the IL 15 signal project in Mt. Vernon.  It is indeed a FYA project.  After this project (and whenever the Decatur FYA project gets acceptable bids - it's being rebid again on the July 2020 Letting) this leaves only District 1, 3, and 8 without FYA's on IDOT roadways.

I wouldn't hold my breath on D1 (or City of Chicago, for that matter) getting one anytime soon. It'd be interesting to see how well they take in D1.

I'm pretty surprised to see them coming to D9. But not as surprised as when the first D1 IDOT project adds them

Missouri and Kentucky and Indiana are using the FYA right across the rivers in Southern IL, so maybe D9 figured it was time to start. Who knows. I've seen them in Evansville, Cape Girardeau, and Paducah

[Brandon]

The plans are up for the IL 15 signal project in Mt. Vernon.  It is indeed a FYA project.  After this project (and whenever the Decatur FYA project gets acceptable bids - it's being rebid again on the July 2020 Letting) this leaves only District 1, 3, and 8 without FYA's on IDOT roadways.

I wouldn't hold my breath on D1 (or City of Chicago, for that matter) getting one anytime soon. It'd be interesting to see how well they take in D1.

The only agency to have them in D1 is Kane County.

[Revive 755]

The only agency to have them in D1 is Kane County.

McHenry County has them in the plans for the Algonquin Road/Crystal Lake Road intersection as part of the big Randall Road widening project.  McHenry County also references them for a future project on Walkup Road and Crystal Lake Road.

Rumor has it Lake County may be looking at installing a few as well.

[3467]

Back to US 52 it does look like a couple of miles of add lanes in the new plan posted in Illinois notes. It was the only new add lanes project I saw and looked adjacent to the shoulders project ?

[quickshade]

FYA are great, we have them in Rockford and things flow so much better.

[Rick Powell]

Back to US 52 it does look like a couple of miles of add lanes in the new plan posted in Illinois notes. It was the only new add lanes project I saw and looked adjacent to the shoulders project ?

Are you referring to the US 52 "River Road to Houbolt Road" project in Will County? It looks like a reconstruction and add lanes project in the west Joliet/Shorewood area of 2.5 miles. It would stop short of the Will/Kendall county line by nearly 2 miles. There is a resurfacing project on US 52 in Kendall, but no other major work in the program.

[3467]

Yes that is it. There is a distance between them. I was really baffled by some projects I talked about in Southern Illinois Notes. A designed overlay for a 2 lane at 3 million a mile and a reconstruction on a 2 lane with no structures at 5. Miss classified?

[Rick Powell]

Yes that is it. There is a distance between them. I was really baffled by some projects I talked about in Southern Illinois Notes. A designed overlay for a 2 lane at 3 million a mile and a reconstruction on a 2 lane with no structures at 5. Miss classified?

Either that, or a hell of a lot of patching or drainage work on the $3M/mile section.

[Revive 755]

List of projects for the September 18, 2020 Letting is up

* Item 2 is intersection improvements to the three intersections where IL 83 and IL 72 cross

* Item 7 is for a new signal on IL 59 at Champion Road (between 119th and Hassert)

* Item 47 is intersection improvements for the Willow Road intersection with Pfingsten Road

* Item 55 is for a road diet on Walnut Street in Springfield between South Grand Avenue and Monroe Street

[Brandon]

List of projects for the September 18, 2020 Letting is up

* Item 2 is intersection improvements to the three intersections where IL 83 and IL 72 cross

* Item 7 is for a new signal on IL 59 at Champion Road (between 119th and Hassert)

* Item 47 is intersection improvements for the Willow Road intersection with Pfingsten Road

* Item 55 is for a road diet on Walnut Street in Springfield between South Grand Avenue and Monroe Street

The last thing we need, yet another non-synchronized signal on 59.

[3467]

The stretch is 67 from  Macomb to Industy. It's a 30 million project. It's no where near as bad as the stretch North of Monmouth that is getting 4 major curves and new shoulders . This might need a culvert or 2 . The stretch of 125 that is getting culvert a nd new shoulders near Pleasant Plains is only a million a mile.

[paulthemapguy]

List of projects for the September 18, 2020 Letting is up
(snipped)
* Item 7 is for a new signal on IL 59 at Champion Road (between 119th and Hassert)

The last thing we need, yet another non-synchronized signal on 59.

If you look at sheets 64 and 65, it shows a wired interconnect to both the 111th and 119th Street signals.  So all three of those signals should be synced together as a result of this project!  Might have been easy to miss because there's no wireless interconnect, which you might expect...I was looking for that tuning fork symbol everywhere.

[pianocello]

If you look at sheets 64 and 65, it shows a wired interconnect to both the 111th and 119th Street signals.  So all three of those signals should be synced together as a result of this project!  Might have been easy to miss because there's no wireless interconnect, which you might expect...I was looking for that tuning fork symbol everywhere.

Is this something that happens often? I don't do any kind of work involving signals or their hardware, but I would have thought a wireless interconnect would be cheaper and easier than running a mile of physical wire to connect the signals.

[ilpt4u]

IDOT D9 recently pulled fiber optic down IL 13 this summer in Carbondale to connect the stoplights together. I haven't really noticed if the signal sync has improved

[Rick Powell]

Is this something that happens often? I don't do any kind of work involving signals or their hardware, but I would have thought a wireless interconnect would be cheaper and easier than running a mile of physical wire to connect the signals.

Of course wireless technology is available and has been tried on traffic signal interconnections. It is currently considered to be far less reliable than a hardwire connection due to signal dropouts, weather interference, and other anomalies. Some of the overhead message boards are equipped to be programmed via cell phone technology, usually a less critical application.

[ChiMilNet]

Is this something that happens often? I don't do any kind of work involving signals or their hardware, but I would have thought a wireless interconnect would be cheaper and easier than running a mile of physical wire to connect the signals.

Of course wireless technology is available and has been tried on traffic signal interconnections. It is currently considered to be far less reliable than a hardwire connection due to signal dropouts, weather interference, and other anomalies. Some of the overhead message boards are equipped to be programmed via cell phone technology, usually a less critical application.

5G may improve the reliability of such technologies. There are many locations IDOT (and CDOT) would be well suited to implement this. Nothing more frustrating while driving than having a light turn green only to have the next immediately turn red as you start to go. Waste of time and gas there.

[Revive 755]

Item 13 on the September 2020 Letting is a building demolition contract around the City of McHenry - two on the east bank of the Fox River, one next to IL 31.  The two on the east bank are definitely in line with the ROW preserved for the west branch of the IL 53 extension.  The plan cover includes IL 53 in the title.

[ChiMilNet]

Item 13 on the September 2020 Letting is a building demolition contract around the City of McHenry - two on the east bank of the Fox River, one next to IL 31.  The two on the east bank are definitely in line with the ROW preserved for the west branch of the IL 53 extension.  The plan cover includes IL 53 in the title.

I've said this before, but even with the IL 53 extension effectively dead (thanks to Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods), why not still do the IL 120 improvements that connect to I-94 and maybe have a chance of one day extending that to US 12 freeway in WI? Interesting that they are still acquiring property for this.

[Joe The Dragon]

Item 13 on the September 2020 Letting is a building demolition contract around the City of McHenry - two on the east bank of the Fox River, one next to IL 31.  The two on the east bank are definitely in line with the ROW preserved for the west branch of the IL 53 extension.  The plan cover includes IL 53 in the title.

I've said this before, but even with the IL 53 extension effectively dead (thanks to Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods), why not still do the IL 120 improvements that connect to I-94 and maybe have a chance of one day extending that to US 12 freeway in WI? Interesting that they are still acquiring property for this.

this is lineing to the us-12 up there. Now maybe build the Richmond bypass as toll?

AS for us-12 they can upgrade it / have an upper toll level in some areas to bypass Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods

[I-39]

Item 13 on the September 2020 Letting is a building demolition contract around the City of McHenry - two on the east bank of the Fox River, one next to IL 31.  The two on the east bank are definitely in line with the ROW preserved for the west branch of the IL 53 extension.  The plan cover includes IL 53 in the title.

I've said this before, but even with the IL 53 extension effectively dead (thanks to Long Grove and Hawthorn Woods), why not still do the IL 120 improvements that connect to I-94 and maybe have a chance of one day extending that to US 12 freeway in WI? Interesting that they are still acquiring property for this.

They can't. Unlike the IL-53 extension from Lake Cook Road to IL-120, the FAP 420 ROW (west of US 12) goes through sensitive conservation areas in Volo Bog and Glacial Park, and it can't be routed around at this point.

Seriously, why are they even bothering with this? At a time when revenue is down, they should be putting their eggs elsewhere, not towards a highway that will never be built.