OHLA, through its U.S. subsidiary Judlau Contracting, has been awarded three new contracts in Illinois (United States) with a combined value of $155 million.

The first contract, awarded by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for $57.2 million, calls for the reconstruction of approximately 2.25 miles of the Wood Street/Ashland Corridor in the city of Harvey in southern Cook County. Located in a densely populated suburban area of Chicago, the project encompasses roadway reconstruction of Wood Street from 161st Street to Thornton Road.

To move the project forward, Judlau is performing earthwork, grading, and utility relocation on the four-lane undivided minor arterial roadway. The Judlau team will self-perform the paving and several other important contract elements.  The roadway reconstruction includes new concrete pavement, traffic signal modernization, drainage improvement with over 8,000 linear feet of storm sewer to be installed via the jack and bore method, stormwater detention storage, new sidewalks, and a multi-use path, as well as new roadway lighting, signage, and landscaping, among other actions.

Meanwhile, the Addison Creek Channel Improvements project, awarded by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago for $77.3 million, will control flooding along Addison Creek in the communities of Bellwood, Northlake, Stone Park, Melrose Park, Westchester, and Broadview.

This critical project includes approximately 2.5 miles of flood control measures and open channel improvements in nine locations. For earth stabilization and retention, Judlau will construct 11 soldier pile walls along with gabion baskets to mitigate flooding of the mid to upper banks of the creek and gabion mattresses, which are rectangular containers made of welded wire mesh filled with rock to prevent flooding in shallow areas.

Judlau’s third recent contract award is a $20.5 million project to reconstruct and improve 1.22 miles of Route 7 from 135th Street to 131st Street in the Villages of Orland Park and Palos Park in Cook County.  The contract will create up to 50 feet of additional shoulder along the east side of Route 7 to allow for work necessary to deepen and widen Mill Creek.  Once the shoulder has been enlarged, the roadway will be reconstructed and shifted west.

Upon completion, the new roadway will accommodate one 11-foot-wide lane in each direction with a ten-foot-wide median, along with an eight-foot-wide multi-use pedestrian path along the west side of Route 7.  Major scopes of work include the excavation of 96,000 cubic yards of earthwork, 21,000 square yards of HMA base course removal and replacement, and installation of precast box culvert structures, along with 5,400 square feet of temporary soil retention. Storm sewer pipe installation, drainage improvements, traffic signal modernization, and landscape restoration are also part of the effort.

Judlau Contracting, Inc.

Judlau Contracting has been active in the Central Region of the United States since 2014.  Since that time, the company has landed numerous contracts from clients such as Tri-State Tollway, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and the City of Chicago.  Currently, the company is carrying out 13 projects in the region including major road and bridge reconstruction contracts for the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Tollway, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Chicago.

U.S., a strategic market for OHLA

OHLA opened for business in the U.S. market in 2006 and operates in New York, California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Florida. The company is involved in major contracts such as the Purple Line Light Rail, in Maryland, for a combined amount of $2,300 million, in the improvement of the I-405 and I-5 highways (both in California) and the South Corridor Bus Rapid Transit project, in Florida.

The company is ranked 13^th in the top 20 contractors by sector (Transportation) and 17^th in the top 50 Domestic Heavy Contractors, according to Engineering News-Record.