October 28, 2021
Important: Upcoming cutoff date reminders in letting section
$1.2 billion, six-year corridor improvement project announced for I-80 
16 miles of interstate will be rebuilt, Des Plaines River bridges to be replaced.
Interstate 80 in Joliet and through Will, Kendall and Grundy counties will receive $1.2 billion in improvements over the next six years as part of a Corridor Improvement Project made possible by Gov. JB Pritzker’s historic Rebuild Illinois capital program. The project will replace infrastructure more than 50 years old, including the Des Plaines River bridges in Joliet.
 
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Region 3 and Region 4: IDOT participated in two central Illinois events in October that celebrated mass transit improvements.

In District 5, the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transportation District’s debuted zero-emission, hydrogen-fueled electric buses that are generated using solar energy . The district is the first transportation agency in the country with this technology, which was funded with $13.2 million from the Rebuild Illinois capital program.
 
In District 6, ground was broken for the $86 million Sangamon Mass Transit District transfer center in Springfield. The project, also funded by Rebuild Illinois, will combine SMTD buses, Amtrak, intercity buses, paratransit and taxis at one location, providing people in Springfield and other areas the ability to seamlessly connect to the entire state.
Region 3: District 4 will hold a virtual public hearing for the proposed expansion of U.S. 34 from two to four lanes from Gulfport to Biggsville from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 17. The project will begin west of the intersection of Carman Road and U.S. 34 and end at the western end of the Biggsville bypass. Alternatives were evaluated to determine if there is a practicable construction alternative within the 6 miles of the U.S. 34 alignment in the 100-year floodplain.
 
Construction will elevate the expanded U.S. 34 to the 500-year floodplain elevation because of modifications made to the regulatory floodplain boundaries for the Mississippi River. Click here for more information on the project and to sign up for the virtual public hearing.
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. 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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