Inflation impacting Illinois infrastructure projects with more spending announced

[August 15, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – The next phase of Rebuild Illinois is planned, and while there may be some savings in how things are built, inflation is increasing costs.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced the latest multi-year plan with all kinds of projects around the state. The next phase is part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's $34.6 billion Rebuild Illinois plan that's paid for with tax and fee increases, including a doubling of the state's gas tax in 2019.

"The investment we are making in our bridges and roads is our highest yet," Pritzker said Friday. "This multi-year project covers over $20 billion of transportation investments including 2,500 miles of roads and nearly 10 million square feet of the bridge deck."

IDOT also announced the state would use a design-build instead of a design-bid-build. IDOT Secretary Omer Osman said this could save money by eliminating one of the steps in the building process.

"A design-build eliminates one step from the process," Osman said. "The traditional is your design, you bid and you build. All three are separate teams. This puts the designer and the contractor together in one room."

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Springfield Friday, Aug. 12, in Springfield, Illinois
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

According to Osman, construction prices have increased significantly over the past year due to record high inflation.

"The inflation has caused at least a 10% increase in the prices," Osman said. "Sometimes it depends on the project itself."

The funding will be split into projects, including $6.36 billion for highway reconstruction and preservation, $6.4 billion for bridge improvements, $2.03 billion for strategic expansion, $2.48 billion for system support such as engineering and land acquisition, and $1.55 billion for safety and system modernizations.

The next phase of projects is expected to be completed by 2028.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.