Governor Quinn Announces $13 Million for Construction Projects in Will and DuPage Counties

MONEE - Governor Pat Quinn today announced capital investments of more than $13 million for construction projects in Will and DuPage counties. The investments will create jobs and improve transportation safety and efficiency. Funded by his Illinois Jobs Now! construction program, the projects are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"These investments in Will and DuPage counties are putting people to work, creating jobs that will help drive the local economy," Governor Quinn said. "They are also helping to repair and maintain Illinois' infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency throughout the region."

Today's announcement follows last week's news that Illinois' unemployment rate declined in July to 6.8 percent from June's 7.1 percent. During July, 11,200 new private sector jobs were added, including 3,900 manufacturing jobs. The state's unemployment rate has fallen steadily since July 2013, when it stood at 9.2 percent, and has completed its steepest 12-month decline of 2.4 percentage points since August 1984. Since February 2010, Illinois has added 263,100 private sector jobs.

Construction payrolls are up by 8,500 jobs since the beginning of the year, nearly four times as strong as the gain posted for this same period in 2013. Specialty trade contractors' payrolls posted healthy gains for the third straight month, fueled in large part by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

The projects below will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

DuPage County

Various state maintained routes will receive intermittent resurfacing for $560,894 by Geneva Construction Company, Inc. of Aurora, the lowest of four bidders.

Pleasant Hill Road from Geneva Road to St. Charles Road, High Lake Road/Jewell Road from Windemere Road to County Farm Road and Winfield Road from High Lake Road to Geneva Road will receive milling and resurfacing, shoulder paving, and striping detector loop replacement for $1,581,523 by Geneva Construction Company, Inc. of Aurora, the lowest of four bidders.

Various intersections in Wood Dale will be improved for $393,690 by Landmark Contractors, Inc. of Huntley, the lower of two bidders.

Will

U.S. 52 will receive 3.29 miles of resurfacing from Illinois Route 53/Chicago Street to Laraway Road in Joliet and unincorporated Will County for $728,261 by D Construction, Inc. of Coal City, the lowest of four bidders.

Illinois Route 394/Calumet Expressway will receive traffic signal modernization at Richton Road for $297,776 by H&H Electric Co. of Franklin Park, the lower of two bidders.

I-55 will receive reconstruction and widening at the Arsenal Road Interchange Northbound Frontage Road in unincorporated Will County for $1,904,103 by D Construction, Inc. of Coal City, the lower of two bidders.

U.S. 52 will receive 3.28 miles of resurfacing from Laraway Road to Gouger Road in Manhattan and unincorporated Will County for $733,951 by D Construction of Coal City, the lowest of four bidders.

U.S. 52 will receive 1.52 miles of resurfacing from Gouger Road to 0.1 mile west of Second Street in Manhattan and unincorporated Will County for $530,498 by D Construction of Coal City, the lowest of four bidders.

Various state routes will receive intermittent resurfacing for $1,087,772 by P.T. Ferro Construction Co. of Joliet, the lowest of four bidders.

Washington Street will receive 1.86 miles of milling and resurfacing from Briggs Street to U.S. 30/Lincoln Highway in New Lenox for $424,278 by D Construction, Inc. of Coal City, the lowest of four bidders.

Tree removal, erosion and sediment control will be done on U.S. 6/Illinois Route 7/159th Street from Cougar Road to Ravinia Avenue in Homer Glen, Orland Park and unincorporated Homer Township for $445,530 by Homer Tree Service, Inc. of Lockport, the lowest of three bidders.

Reconstruction including pavement widening, resurfacing, storm sewer, curb and gutter, sidewalks, traffic signals, a pedestrian path and pavement markings will be done at the intersection of University Parkway at Cicero Avenue in the Village of University Park for $4,077,000 by Gallagher Asphalt Corporation of Thornton, the lowest of four bidders.

The projects are part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.