Andrew Cunningham l Executive Director, Infrastructure Council l 217-520-2345

Illinois Chamber Releases Quarter 2 Business Leader

The Illinois Chamber recently released the June edition of the Business Leader magazine. In this installment, the magazine features exclusive stories and insight from many of our fantastic member companies, including Infrastructure Council members CPKC and EVBox. Thank you to these companies for their participation, I highly encourage you to read the full publication at the link below.

To read the full stories click HERE.

Record bid letting for IDOT in June

IDOT announced earlier this week that bids on 236 contracts for highway and bridge projects were accepted at its June letting, representing a potential investment of more than $910.4 million in infrastructure in communities throughout Illinois. This month’s bid letting is the largest in the department’s history.

In the bid letting held June 16, significant contracts include: 

• $55.4 million to reconstruct Interstate 80 with capacity improvements between Minooka in Kendall County to I-55 in Will County.
• $18.7 million to reconstruct the interchange of Illinois 31 and U.S. 20 in Elgin.
• $20.5 million to reconstruct 1.2 miles of Illinois 7 (Southwest Highway) from 131st Street to south of 135th Street in Orland Park.
• $14.4 million to replace the approach and deck of the bridge and other repairs to Illinois 83 (127th Street) over the Cal Sag Channel in Crestwood and Alsip.
• $755,753 to resurface Pulaski Road from I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) to Cermak Road in Chicago.
• $1.4 million to repair the bridge from I-55 northbound to the Chinatown Feeder in Chicago.
• $4.1 million to convert the intersection of Illinois 394 and Burville Road in unincorporated Crete Township into a Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT).
• $98.8 million to reconstruct the I-39 and U.S. 20 interchange in Rockford. State of Illinois    
• $28.8 million to resurface I-74 from north of Illinois 17 in Henry County to U.S. 34 in Knox County.
• $7.3 million to replace the bridges carrying I-57 over U.S.45 near Pesotum in Champaign County.
• $68.9 million to build Brush College Road bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad and Fairies Parkway in Decatur. 
• $11.5 million to patch and resurface, replace sidewalks, curbs and gutters as well as install new signals on Illinois 121 from I-72 to Illinois 48 in Decatur.
• $44.3 million to build two bridges on Iron Bridge Road and Woodside Road in Sangamon County. 
• $24.5 million for patching, improving drainage and resurfacing 8 miles of U.S. 51 from the DeWitt County line to north of Forsyth Road in Forsyth.
• $15.2 million to resurface 10 miles of Illinois 255 from Illinois 142 and Seminary Road in the Metro East.
• $36.8 million to resurface 12.7 miles of I-57 from north of Illinois 146 to the Williamson/Johnson county line.
• $21.6 million to patch and resurface 13 miles of I-24 from I-57 to north of U.S. 45 in Vienna. Work includes repairs to five bridges and painting of two bridges. 



A total of 38 contracts bid on were in excess of $5 million. Proposals received during the bid letting are subject to review, with contracts generally awarded within a month following the bid letting and construction starting soon afterward. For fiscal year 2023, IDOT has awarded 785 contracts worth more than $2.5 billion in highway and bridge improvements.  

Session Update

The General Assembly adjourned last month in the early morning of Saturday, May 27th. Per SJR 42, the House and Senate have adjourned until the call of the Speaker and the Senate President. The 2023 fall veto session has been announced for October 24th-26th and November 7th-9th. View the calendar here.

Bills of Interest Signed into Law:

No bills of interest were signed into law in the past week.

Rulemaking

There was no proposed or adopted rulemaking of note for this Council in the June 23rd edition of the Illinois Register.

Annual Meeting pre-luncheon reception sponsors needed

The Illinois Chamber 2023 annual luncheon will be held on September 28 at the Doubletree Hotel in Oak Brook. We are seeking sponsors for the reception preceding the event. Please see the attached document for reception sponsorship information.

Annual Luncheon Sponsors

The Illinois Chamber is now seeking sponsors for our 2023 annual luncheon. Please reach out to me for sponsorship details.

Illinois Chamber and Illinois National Guard Event

On behalf of the 13,000 members of the Illinois National Guard, you are cordially invited to celebrate the establishment of Camp Lincoln with us as well as attend a presentation on how local businesses can compete for millions of federal dollars in supplies and services purchased in Illinois by the Illinois National Guard each year. 

The presentation will be led by the United States Property and Fiscal Office for Illinois' Supervisory Contract Specialist Lt. Col. Mark Williams and will be held on July 6 at 10 a.m. in the Illinois Military Academy auditorium on Camp Lincoln, 1301 North MacArthur Boulevard, Springfield, IL 62702. 



On July 6, 1886, by order of Governor Richard J. Oglesby, Adjutant General Joseph W. Vance issued General Order 14. It read, “The permanent camp and rifle range established for the Illinois National Guard, near Springfield, is hereby designated and will be known as Camp Lincoln.” The camp consisted of 160 acres, is a mile long and a quarter mile wide and is just a half mile from President Abraham Lincoln’s tomb. The land originally cost $18,100. 

Throughout 2023 the Illinois National Guard is celebrating its 300^th Birthday by marking significant dates in the history it shares with communities across Illinois. Among those communities are Greater Springfield business leaders. Camp Lincoln is the headquarters of the Illinois National Guard and one of its key training and maintenance facilities. Camp Lincoln and the 183^rd Wing bring in millions of federal dollars to Springfield each year and the Illinois National Guard is among the city’s largest employers.  

Interested participants can RSVP to the Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office by e-mail: ng.il.ilarng.list.staff-pao@army.mil or by calling 217-761-3569.

Articles of Interest  

Ford Gets $9.2 Billion to Help US Catch Up With China’s EV Dominance

Amtrak promotes new route from Chicago to Kansas City with event in Normal

GOP Split With Big Business Gives States New Lobbying Clout

Chemical Makers, Tool Suppliers Can Now Get Chips Act Money

Electrical Grid Parts Shortages Are Slowing Truck-Charging Projects