Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) Roadway and Bridge Rehabilitation Construction Management

The Illinois Tollway is the owner of this project, which is funded through the agency’s 15-year, $14 billion Move Illinois capital program, which aims to improve mobility and access, relieve congestion, reduce pollution, and create new jobs throughout the region.

IEI was contracted by the Illinois Tollway as the prime engineering consultant to provide Phase III construction management engineering services (inspection and supervision) for on-call contract task orders for the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) Roadway Resurfacing and Bridge Repair Project, overseeing a $43 million construction budget. IEI managed two primary task orders for this project.

The initial task order included mainline portland cement concrete patching and rehabilitation, structure rehabilitations, ditch grading, drainage improvements, and miscellaneous roadway improvements along 5 miles of I-88.

The second task order encompassed the rehabilitation and improvement of an additional 5 miles of I-88, the removal of a deteriorated 3-span bridge over the Illinois Prairie Path, and the installation of a cast-in-place three-sided pedestrian culvert. IEI provided construction inspection services for both projects.

The Construction Management phase of this project involved managing cost and schedule and the coordination of information with stakeholders. The site conditions made it critical for for the entire team, including the Tollway PM, the GEC, the Designer, the CM, and the contractor to coordinate activities. IEI implemented CM techniques that helped with constructability, staging, and scheduling for the construction of the culvert.

• To reduce the impact of construction on I-88 and Prairie Path users, the existing bridge was removed under staged construction utilizing a counterflow lane to maintain full traffic lanes.  Additionally, the roadway embankment was constructed filling around the culvert to allow for the Prairie Path to remain open to bicycles and pedestrians.
• By re-engineering the original precast design with a cast-in-place design, obstacles such as crane use in proximity of overhead power lines, limited access, and lack of staging areas were eliminated, increasing safety and helping to streamline the job’s schedule.
• A section of the culvert framework was built on a sliding railing system. After pouring the first section, the entire framework was pulled out and repositioned to pour the subsequent three sections, helping to save significant construction time.
• The team was able to place concrete with a conveyor that was moved for each section of a pour and lifting the machine under the bridge and using outriggers on the concrete blocks.
• Haul roads were constructed on either side of the tunnel, behind the existing piers, allowing for progress to continue on wing wall construction and final finishes while maintaining forward progress of the tunnel itself, all which contributed to the project’s timely completion.
• The team’s plan for construction sequencing took advantage of the dry seasons and allowed for a gain of 35 days of float in the construction schedule.

“The successful outcome of this project – on budget and ahead of schedule – is due to the incredible teamwork between IEI and all involved stakeholders, from Illinois Tollway to the general contractors.  The IEI team delivered this project with the signature INGENUITY that our clients expect from us,” commented Jeff Pollack, P.E., who led the Construction Management team as Resident Engineer.  IEI engineers Chirag Dave, P.E. (Asst. Resident Engineer), Hussain Alsayed, P.E. (Documentation Engineer), Haseeb Suhail (Senior Inspector), and Mohammed Sayani, P.E. (Asst. Documentation Engineer) made significant contributions to this project.

We were able to provide more scope within the same schedule, leading to greater value delivered. Construction of the pedestrian culvert was completed on schedule and within budget, opening the Prairie Path to users on time and allowing the Tollway to meet commitments to project stakeholders.

IEI’s team received a 4.26 of 5.00 (Exceeds Expectations) performance evaluation from Illinois Tollway for this project.