This was the message from top Illinois leaders this week to FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt (pictured above with IDOT Secretary Omer Osman and IRTBA President Mike Sturino) who reviewed plans for a $6 billion overhaul of the I-290/Blue Line Corridor. Sturino attended the meeting and corridor tour, together with Sec. Osman, CTA President Dorval Carter, Senate President Don Harmon, Deputy ...
The Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association Planning and Design Division’s Board of Directors hosted a comprehensive symposium to promote best practices in the design and implementation of electric vehicle charging options in Illinois. The group also reviewed state-of-the-art electric vehicle options that may be employed in the State of Illinois.
At the request of the Operating Engineers and Laborers, the Illinois Department of Labor determined that survey workers and survey foremen working on the site of Illinois public works projects must be paid the prevailing wage rate. This decision will not go into effect until the IDOL holds a rate hearing, issues an order setting the applicable prevailing wage rate, and publishes the rate on its ...
Automotive and transportation data researcher INRIX released its annual Global Traffic Scorecard this week, revealing that Chicago ranked as the U.S. city with the highest traffic delays in 2022 and second worldwide - after London.
ARTBA’s Annual Bridge Report shows that Illinois still has a long way to go to get its bridges in a state of good repair. According to the report, IDOT has identified needed repairs on 4,125 bridges – the third highest number in the nation.
The U.S. Department of Labor this week released their final rules that would make significant changes to the Davis Bacon Act. Contractors are required to comply with DBA provisions in all federally funded work, including IDOT work. This move follows the USDOL’s proposed rule released in March 2022, followed by a comment period. Both ARTBA and IRTBA provided comments on the proposed rule in 2022. ...
The most significant amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act took effect in June with the enactment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. The amendments focused on streamlining NEPA, but a new rule proposed last Friday may open the door to more widespread litigation aimed at halting projects. The proposed rule expands upon the amendment’s new definition of “major Federal action" by ...
Governor J.B. Pritzker today announced that Illinois Department of Transportation plans to spend nearly $41 billion on transportation infrastructure over the next six years, making the new Multi-Year Program for FY24-29 the largest-ever construction program in state history. Read the governor's press release.
Over 200 IRTBA members attended the first General Membership Meeting of 2023. Alison Premo Black, Ph.D., ARTBA's Senior Vice President and Chief Economist provided invaluable insight into the state of the economy in Illinois and nationally. Her analysis covered construction and design trends, supply chain issues, engineering estimates, and progress seen with IIJA funding. The event featured ...
