It is recommended that the City Council approve the resolution awarding the contract for the Country Club and Airport Road Reconstruction Project, City Project 2021-33, to Dunn Company, A Division of Tyrolt, Inc. as the lowest, responsible bidder in the amount of $2,000,000 and that the Mayor be authorized to execute the contract and the City Clerk to attest.  The resolution represents an expenditure of $1,891,540.67 as the low bid plus $108,459.33 for project contingencies. The contract documents excluding project specific drawings, conditions, and provisions are attached.

Streets Inspected Annually

The Engineering Division inspects and rates approximately 1/2 of the City’s streets on a yearly basis.  The results of these inspections are input to a computer database which is used to project the future condition of the streets based on their current and historical condition, and surface type (i.e. brick, concrete, asphalt, etc.).  This data is then paired with available funding and is used as a basis to aid City Engineering in the preparation of the City’s yearly street improvement program.  Staff then determines what type of improvement would be appropriate for each street.

Project Description

In 2018, the City improved Airport Road from just north of US 36 to Nolen Drive. The section of Airport Road to the north, which becomes Country Club Road, was not done at the time because it needed full reconstruction to address the pavement failures experienced there. Generally, pavement failures on a concrete road can be patched by removing the failed sections only. As a rule of thumb, once 15% of the overall pavement area needs patching, it is more economical to reconstruct the whole pavement. If we tried to patch the failed sections only on this road, 43% of the pavement area would need patched making reconstruction the better option. The pavement is over 40 years old and has reached the end of its useful life. The existing concrete pavement will be fully removed and replaced with a full depth asphalt pavement. The road will be closed to through traffic as soon as pavement removal begins. One lane will remain in place for residents along Airport/Country Club Rd. and Melwood Ct to access their houses.

The following are the limits of construction (see attached location map):

Letting Results

The project scope and specifications were prepared by the Engineering Division and approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for the use of Rebuild Illinois (RBI) funds.  The project was let as a full depth concrete road or an equivalent asphalt road using a thicker pavement. The contractor with the lowest bid would be chosen regardless of the pavement material. The project was advertised on July 7, 2021 and July 14, 2021, and bids were opened on July 21, 2021.  The results of the letting are as follows (bid tabulation attached):

Seven contractors took out bid packages and only one submitted a bid. Dunn Company provided the lowest responsible bid at 3.37% under the engineer’s estimate. No bids were submitted for the concrete alternate. Dunn Company has successfully completed many jobs of this type for the City. 

July 6, 2021 – Council approved Resolution R2021-119 appropriating $2,000,000 of Rebuild Illinois funds for the purpose of rehabilitating streets and highways under the applicable provisions of the Illinois Highway Code.

The Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan was signed by the Governor to fund transportation projects and improvements. Funds from this plan have been allocated to local agencies and are administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The City is to receive 6 tranches of $836,123.22 each over a three year period which began in 2020.  In all, the City should receive $5,016,739.32 in Rebuild Illinois Bond (RBI) Funds to use on bondable transportation related projects in the City. RBI funds are appropriated in the same manner as State Motor Fuel Tax funds.

Illinois Department of Transportation

LEGAL REVIEW:  The plans and specifications for the Street Restoration project were forwarded to Legal on April 28, 2021.

Budget Impact:  Funding for a majority of this project is allocated in the Rebuild Illinois (RBI) Fund.  Catch basin reconstruction and adjustments will be funded out of the Storm Water Fund ($20,973.75). Manhole adjustments will be funded out of the Sanitary Sewer Fund ($30,000.00). Valve box replacements will be funded out of the Water Main Replacement Fund ($14,175.00). It is proposed that a total project expenditure of $2,000,000 be authorized which includes $1,934,851.25 of RBI money already allocated.  This amount represents the low bid amount of $1,891,540.67 plus $108,459.33 for project contingencies. 

Staff Impact:  Staff time has been allocated for this project in the Capital Improvement Plan.

SCHEDULE: Following approval by the Mayor and City Council, the contracts and bid tabulation will be forwarded to the Illinois Department of Transportation for final approval in accordance with the rules governing the disbursement of Rebuild Illinois funds. Work on this project shall begin after Labor Day. It is anticipated this project will take approximately 3 months to complete.