October 14, 2021
Important: Upcoming cutoff date reminders in letting section
Highway maintainer saves driver from overturned semi
Alan Ingle tends to be at the right place at the right time working as a District 7 highway maintainer. His quick thinking and vast experience saved a driver’s life after her semi overturned in front of him on Interstate 70 in southern Illinois.
 
Employee Spotlight:
Jason Salley

What do LEGOs, Lincoln Logs and Capsela have in common with roundabouts and diverging diamond interchanges? For Jason Salley, the latter helped him understand his role as District 1 Geometric Studies Unit head.
 
IDOT recognizes Hispanic Heritage Month
During Hispanic Heritage Month, IDOT has proudly recognized the many Hispanic men and women who contribute to our organization by profiling some of our employees on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
 
View the entire collection here.
Region 2 – In District 2, work is approaching the finish line for the new Interstate 74 Mississippi River bridges in the Quad Cities. The final concrete deck pour on the Illinois-bound (eastbound) bridge was done near the end of September, and work is progressing on the multiuse trail that runs alongside it.
 
In Illinois, most of the construction is complete, with traffic now using the newly completed sections of I-74. Final tasks, including painting, lighting and barrier walls, are underway and the project is planned to be done by the end of the year.
Region 5 - District 8 and Day Labor, IDOT’s in-house construction unit, teamed up to complete slope repairs along Illinois 159 near Swansea after a large failure was discovered by a mushroom hunter. After further investigation, it was determined that two sections of metal culvert had corroded and failed, creating a substantial hole.
 
District 8 forces cleared the brush, stabilized the road’s edge and worked with Day Labor to develop the needed fix. Trees will be planted to restore the natural barrier to Illinois 159.
Letting Update
 
Nov. 5 is the final letting for statewide construction projects that are scheduled in 2021. Here are some dates to note in advance of the letting.
 
  • Oct. 15 at 4:30 p.m. Prequalification cutoff (Date that contractors must be qualified to bid on contracts.)
  • Oct. 29 at 4:30 p.m. Joint venture cutoff (three contractor limit. Date for these groups who want to bid can do so.)
  • Nov. 2 at 4:30 p.m. Request for authorization to bid cutoff (Final date for contractors who are authorized to bid on contracts.)
  • Nov. 5 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:
 
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