August 11, 2021
IDOT employees honored for saving woman
When District 7 Highway Maintainers James McWhirter and Brian Campbell began patrolling Illinois 130 in Richland County on a frigid late January morning, they were not expecting to be heroes by the end of the day. However, heroes, or more accurately, lifesavers, are exactly what they became when they spotted an elderly woman with dementia on the verge of freezing to death.
 
The Secretary’s Pin is awarded for outstanding service to the department.
 
“I am proud to extend the Secretary’s Pin to these fine gentlemen,” Secretary Omer Osman said when presenting the award to the men during a July ceremony in Effingham. “What these two men did is nothing short of heroic.”
 
I-74 Mississippi River Bridge nearing completion in the Quad Cities

The Interstate 74 Mississippi River Bridge project in the Quad Cities continues to make giant steps forward as it nears completion.
 
After opening the westbound bridge to two-way traffic last winter, progress continued with April’s opening of the new Sixth Avenue exit ramp, providing improved access to downtown Moline. Completion of Illinois’ eastbound viaduct in June shifted traffic to the newly completed structure, resulting in better flow and improved safety. In addition, reconstruction of Sixth Avenue/Illinois 92 in Moline was completed in early July, improving sightline distance, safety and interstate access.
 
With the arch floor modules on the eastbound river bridge in place, work continues to install the new deck and complete the eastbound approach on the Iowa side. The project is expected to wrap by the end of 2021.
 
Click here for more information about this project.
District 3 again supported Seneca High School in its annual spring litter removal campaign through the Adopt-A-Highway program. Over two days last spring, more than 300 students and several teachers removed trash from 32 miles of highways, 2 miles along the Illinois & Michigan Canal as well as from ravines around two cemeteries and the perimeter of the school grounds.
 
Learn more about the Adopt-A-Highway program by clicking the “Love the Land of Lincoln” tab  here.
District 4’s Morton maintenance yard has been piloting a Midland Road Widener attachment since July 2020. The equipment has furthered operational efficiencies that empower the team to cover more area in a day’s work.
 
The new add-on can lay down pavement widths ranging from 2 to 9 feet with adjustable cross-slope functionality above or below grade. These functions optimize performance in tasks, such as road shoulder repairs, remediation road widening, trench backfilling asphalt and aggregate placement.
Letting Update
 
The July 30 letting included 70 projects across the state. Two more lettings are scheduled in 2021: Sept. 17 and Nov. 5.
 
Here are some dates to note in advance of the Sept. 17 letting.
 
Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. Transportation Bulletin release (Official advertisement of projects.)
Aug. 27 at 4:30 p.m. Prequalification cutoff (Date that contractors must be qualified to bid on contracts.)
Sept. 10 at 4:30 p.m. Joint venture cutoff (3 contractor limit. Date for these groups who want to bid can do so.)
Sept. 14 at 4:30 p.m. Request for authorization to bid cutoff (Final date for contractors who are authorized to bid on contracts.)
Sept. 17 at noon Letting (Bids can be submitted until 11:59 a.m. on the day. Bids are shut down at noon.)
 
If you are new to the IDOT bid letting process or need updated information, following are some helpful resources:
 
·        Transportation Bulletin
·        EBids
·        Letting Schedule
·        Prequalification
·        Authorization to Bid
·        Bid Bonds
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