SPRINGFIELD, IL -- The Illinois Department of Transportation recently selected Contractors of the Year for 2001.

The awards are broken down between IDOT's District 1, which encompasses the six counties of Northeastern Illinois, and downstate districts.

The Contractors of the Year for District 1 projects, and the categories, are:

Portland Cement Concrete Pavement. Harry W. Kuhn, Inc. of Wheaton for pavement reconstruction and realignment on IL 59 from 103^rd St. to 111^th St. in Naperville.

Bituminous Concrete Pavement. K-Five Construction Corp. of Lemont and Central Blacktop Co., Inc. of LaGrange for pavement resurfacing on the Stevenson Expressway from Harlem Ave. in Forest View to Kedzie Ave. in Chicago.

New Bridge Construction. Kiewit Western Co. of Elgin for construction of the new structure carrying the BNSF Railroad over relocated Ogden Ave. in Cicero.

Bridge Rehabilitation. James Cape and Sons Co. of Hoffman Estates for the superstructure replacement on the structure carrying Harlem Ave. over I-90 in Chicago.

Major Bridge Rehabilitation. Two winners. Illinois Constructors Corp. of St. Charles for the rehabilitation of the structure carrying I-55 over the Des Plaines River at Channahon. Walsh Construction Co. of Illinois of Chicago and Lorig Construction Co. of Des Plaines for the rehabilitation of three bridges on westbound Stevenson Expressway from west of Damen Ave. to west of Kedzie Ave. in Chicago.

Outstanding Subcontractor. Two winners. Albin Carlson & Co. of Melrose Park for their part in the construction of dual structures on I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) between Harlem Ave. and Kedzie Ave. in Chicago. City Lights, Ltd. of Chicago for the surveillance system installed along I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) between Harlem Ave. and Kedzie Ave.

Urban Improvement. Arrow Road Construction of Mt. Prospect for pavement resurfacing on Harlem Ave. from Howard St. to I-90 in Chicago and Niles.

Work Zone Traffic Control. United Rental Highway Technologies, Inc. of Villa Park for traffic control provided during construction on IL 62 and IL 53 in Schaumburg, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights.

Partnering. Two winners. Walsh Construction Co. of Illinois, Chicago for the pavement reconstruction of the I-290 frontage roads and Mannheim Road in Bellwood, Hillside and Westchester. Kiewit Western Co. of Elgin for construction of the BNSF Railroad overpass on relocated Ogden Ave. in Cicero.

The Contractors of the Year for Downstate projects, and the categories, are:

Portland Cement Concrete Pavement. Northwest Illinois Construction Co. of Sterling for the pavement construction on IL 2 from River St. to White Oak Lane in Dixon.

Bituminous Concrete Pavement. Wabash Asphalt Co. of Mt. Carmel for bituminous resurfacing on I-64 from north of Burnt Prairie to seven miles west of IL 1.

New Bridge Construction. Freesen, Inc. of Springfield for bridge construction on the new alignment of IL 8 over the Union Pacific Railroad in Pottstown.

Bridge Rehabilitation. Freesen, Inc. of Springfield for the deck replacement on four structures carrying I-74 over Main Street and the TP & W Railroad in Morton.

Major Bridge Rehabilitation. Halverson Construction Co., Inc. of Springfield for the rehabilitation of the IL 1 bridge over the Little Wabash River in Carmi.

Urban Improvement. Howell Asphalt Co. and Howell Paving, Inc., both of Mattoon, for pavement widening and resurfacing on US 45 from IL 37 to Jaycee Ave. in Effingham.

Small Project Construction. Otto Baum Co., Inc. of Morton for the historic preservation of the stone arch bridge carrying Candlewood Lane over the south branch of Farm Creek in Washington.

Special Recognition. Two winners. O'Neil Bros., A Division of MACC of IL, Inc. or Urbana for the construction of a timber covered bridge on Old Rt. 40 over the Embarras River one mile west of Greenup. Midwest Foundation Corp. of Tremont for the challenging demolition of the Old Rt. 26 bridge over the Illinois River at Hennepin.

Outstanding Subcontractor. Wortman-Starwalt, Inc. of Effingham for their innovative use of cotton curing blankets in the repair of five structures on I-64 near Burnt Prairie.

Work Zone Traffic Control. Midwest Foundation Corp. of Tremont and Halverson Construction Co. of Springfield for traffic control provided during rehabilitation of the eastbound McClugage Bridge in Peoria.

Partnering. Two winners. Fischer Excavating, Inc. of Freeport for pavement reconstruction on US Bus. Rt. 20 between Harlem and Clark Streets in Freeport. Wabash Asphalt Co., Inc. of Mt. Carmel and Wortman-Starwalt, Inc. of Effingham for the rehabilitation of 16 structures and pavement resurfacing on I-64 near Burnt Prairie.

The Department congratulates these contractors for outstanding work during the 2001 construction season.

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