Illinois Tollway Spotlights New Interchange, Diversity and Procurement Efforts at ACEC Illinois Fall Conference
Illinois Tollway projects and initiatives are playing in Peoria!
About 300 transportation engineers came down to the River City for the annual fall conference hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois to hear updates on the latest transportation topics.
Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse and Deputy Chief of Program Implementation Sarah Kukadia detailed construction of the new Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange and its subsequent economic impact in the Chicago Southland.
“This is an incredible success story,” said Rouse. “For decades, I-294 and I-57 crossed each other in the Chicago Southland but did not connect. This limited access to some communities, stalling job creation and economic development by making it more difficult and time-consuming for commercial vehicles to use the regional road network to transport materials and products.”
Kukadia outlined the evolution of the interchange project, from when it was first proposed in 1993 to its completion in September 2022, emphasizing the coordination among the Tollway, IDOT, local municipalities and other local interests.
Acting Chief of Procurement Peter Foernssler served on a panel discussing statements of interest. He discussed efforts underway to make the process more streamlined and offered tips on what firms can do avoid some of the common mistakes seen in past submittals.
Chief of Diversity and Strategic Development Terry Miller participated in a lunchtime panel discussion on expanding opportunities for small, diverse and veteran-owned firms. He identified areas where these firms have opportunities to grow and expand and the programs and resources available from the Tollway.