24 Mar 2014

Governor Quinn Announces $1.4 Billion Illinois Tollway 2014 Capital Construction Program

By Dave Blanchette

Largest Year of Construction Investment in Agency History Will Rebuild 160 Lane Miles, Repair 70 Bridges and Improve 20 Interchanges

SCHAUMBURG - Governor Pat Quinn today announced the Illinois Tollway will invest $1.4 billion in transportation improvements in 2014 - the largest one-year infrastructure investment in the agency's history. The investments will rebuild 160 lane miles of roads, repair 70 bridges and build or improve 20 interchanges while supporting up to 15,000 jobs. Today's announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"This record transportation investment across the Illinois Tollway will reduce congestion and improve the quality of life for people throughout the region while supporting our businesses," Governor Quinn said. "This unparalleled investment in our roads will create jobs for thousands of hard-working men and women today and build a foundation for even more businesses and jobs for generations to come."

Today's announcement includes funding for the third year of the agency's 15-year, $12 billion capital program, Move Illinois: The Illinois Tollway Driving the Future. In 2014, the $1.1 billion in Move Illinois projects include the completion of the first phase of the new interchange connecting the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and I-57; the continued rebuilding and widening of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) as a state-of-the-art 21st century corridor; moving forward with construction of a new, all-electronic Elgin O'Hare Western Access; and funding planning studies for the Illinois Route 53/120 Project. In addition to these new improvements, the 2014 capital program includes $300 million in funding to address the needs of the existing Tollway system. 

"2014 will be our biggest year ever. We know that drivers may experience work zones along many parts of our system this year and ask our customers for their continued patience," Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur said. "By the end of the year, our customers will have direct access from the Tri-State to I-57 and smooth, new pavement and another lane on the Jane Addams from Elgin to Rockford. They will also begin to see major work happening on the Elgin O'Hare Western Access Project, the largest roadway construction project in the state."

"The hardworking men and women of the Illinois construction industry are eager and ready to get started on the Illinois Tollway's 2014 construction projects," said James P. Connolly, business manager of the Laborers' District Council of Chicago & Vicinity. "We appreciate the opportunity to help build the transportation infrastructure that keeps the Illinois economy moving."

"The Tollway's $12 billion Move Illinois Program is an economic engine for Northern Illinois and the I-90 Rebuilding and Widening Project alone is expected to create more than 11,000 jobs," James Sweeney, President of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, said. "The long-term benefits of these investments will continue to be realized for decades."

The Tollway's Move Illinois Program is the largest capital program in the agency's history and the largest of any toll road agency in the nation. As of February, more than $2.1 billion in construction and engineering contracts have been approved by the Tollway Board since the Move Illinois Program began in 2012.

The 2014 capital program includes:

$729.2 million for the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) corridor.

·         Completing the rebuilding and widening of the 37-mile western segment of I-90 between Elgin and I-39 in Rockford.

·         Beginning advance work including noisewall and retaining wall construction on the eastern segment of I-90 between Elgin and the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to prepare for roadway rebuilding and widening.

·         Rebuilding westbound I-90 between I-294 and the Kennedy Expressway.

·         Improving or building interchanges at Business U.S. Route 20/State Street in Rockford, Irene Road and Genoa Road near Belvidere, Illinois Route 25 in Elgin, Barrington Road in Hoffman Estates, Roselle Road and Meacham Road in Schaumburg and Lee Street in Rosemont.

·         Rebuilding 11 local crossroad bridges along I-90 to accommodate the widening of the roadway, including Pearl Street, Town Hall Road, Johnson Road, Shattuck Road, County Line Road, Harmony-Riley Road, Harmony Road, Hennig Road, Tyrrell Road, Bartlett Road and Higgins Road.

$282.8 million to construct the Elgin O'Hare Western Access Project.

·         Building new interchanges at Rohlwing Road and I-290 on Illinois Route 390 (Elgin O'Hare Expressway) and at Elmhurst Road on I-90.

·         Continuing new noisewall and advance work between Roselle Road and Meacham Road/Medinah Road along Illinois Route 390.

·         Rehabilitating and widening of Illinois Route 390 from Illinois Route 19 to Meacham Road/Medinah Road, as well as reconstruction and widening work from Meacham Road/Medinah Road to Illinois Route 53.

$85.7 million to complete the first phase of the new Tri-State Tollway (I-294)/I-57 Interchange in partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation.

·         Building new ramps to carry traffic from southbound I-294 to southbound I-57 and from northbound I-57 to northbound I-294.

·         Building new ramps at 147th Street and I-294.

In addition, the Illinois Tollway is committed to additional investments that will keep the existing Tollway system in a state of good repair for years to come. Work in 2014 includes an additional $282.8 million for a variety of construction, design, inspection and other capital investments systemwide. Projects include :

·         Repairing pavement and bridges on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88).

·         Repairing Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294) ramps at 75th Street, Ogden Avenue, Roosevelt Road, I-290, Irving Park Road, Grand Avenue and at Illinois Route 120.

·         Repairing ramps and bridges on the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355).

·         Restoring parking lots at seven oases throughout the Illinois Tollway system.

Following the direction of Governor Quinn and the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors, the agency has stepped up efforts to expand opportunities for a larger and more diverse group of businesses to work on the Move Illinois Program including professional services, construction and goods and services. In fact, there are currently more than 500 businesses working on the Move Illinois Program, with more than one-third working with the Tollway for the first time.

Construction work is beginning this month at various locations on the Tollway system. Whenever possible, the Illinois Tollway works to keep as many lanes open in work zones as were available before construction by using shoulders, traffic shifts and crossover lanes. Lane closures may be required at times, to facilitate stage changes, accelerate work or for the safety of workers and drivers. The Tollway works to schedule these lane closures during non-peak travel times.

Work zone speed limits are in effect 24/7 in all construction zones, whether workers are present. Drivers should continue to watch for changing traffic patterns and use caution at all times. Illinois State Police have zero tolerance for drivers speeding in work zones. The minimum penalty for speeding in a work zone is $375. Posted signs advise drivers of a $10,000 fine and 14-year jail sentence for hitting a roadway worker.

The Tollway is committed to "Building Green" and minimizing the environmental impact of construction by reducing, recycling and reusing materials. Recycled asphalt pavement aggregate, recycled concrete aggregate, along with supplemental cements such as fly ash and ground granulated slag from industrial waste are green materials that may be part of the concrete pavements. In addition, new asphalt used in projects will incorporate recycled materials including warm-mix asphalt, reclaimed asphalt pavement, ground tire rubber and recycled asphalt shingles. In addition to reducing the cost of this work, reuse of these materials reduces the need for virgin asphalt materials and reduces the volume of material that would otherwise be sent to landfills.

For more detailed information about Illinois Tollway construction projects, visit "Project By Roadway" in the Construction/Planning section on the Tollway's website illinoistollway.com.

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11 Mar 2014

Travel to Germany with GAHC & Blue Horizon Travel

By German American Heritage Center
Blue Horizon Travel Time

Cruise the Rivers of Southern Germany
August 20-27 2015!
Informational Meeting at GAHC Wed, March 12th at 6:30 pm

Deposit $250 pp by April 1st and SAVE 10% off cruise!

Once again Linda Meadors of Blue Horizon is partnering with the German American Heritage Center for a journey to southern Germany;s most picturesque villages traversing along four of its most famous rivers- the Moselle, Rhine, Main, and the Danube Canal. We will board the new Avalon Visionary in Remich, Luxembourg traveling east to Nuremberg with stops in the former Roman city of Trier, the vineyard and castle villages of Cochem & Koblenz, through the famous Rhine Gorge, and into one of Germany's most photographed villages, Rudesheim. Along the way our Avalon cruise director will provide lectures with tales of the ancient castles that stand sentry on lofty cliffs rising 400 feet above the waters.
27 Feb 2014

Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend set for March 28-30, 2014

By Rick Martin

GALENA, Ill. - Tickets are available online now, and selling quickly, for Galena's extremely popular Grand Tastings during Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend. This year's event is slated for March 28-30, with Grand Tastings being offered on Friday, March 28 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 29 from 3:30-6:00 p.m. at the Galena Convention Center, 900 Galena Square Dr., in Galena, Illinois. Make sure to purchase your tickets soon as Saturday's Grand Tasting event has already sold out.

"This year's Grand Tasting promises to be even more fun-filled, with dozens of new wines open to taste! From Albarino to Zinfandel, this tasting has it all," said event sponsor Tim Althaus, owner, Family Beer & Liquor. "We do highly recommend early purchase for Grand Tasting tickets as we have sold out quickly in past years."

After selling out three weeks before the event in 2009, the committee expanded to offering two Grand Tastings, both of which have also sold out in the past three years. Tickets are $35 in advance and may be purchased online at www.wineloversweekend.com.

Why are the Grand Tastings so popular? They provide epicureans of all levels the opportunity to choose from more than 300 varieties of hand-picked wines and spirits to sample. Admission also provides you with a keepsake wine glass and an opportunity to win a wine-themed trip to San Francisco (including round trip airfare for two through American Airlines in the continental 48 states). Additional trip chances may be purchased for $15 each. The wine silent auction includes items such as vintage wines, artwork, large format wine bottles and related items of interest.

Now in its ninth year running, Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend is a community-wide celebration of good wine, good food and good friends. Wine lovers of all sorts are invited to enjoy three event-filled days of fine wine, culinary delight, celebrity chefs, wine makers, pampering packages and all of the stops Galena can possibly pull out.

Galena Wine Lovers' Weekend is a spirited way to warm the winter and add romance whether it is for vino, gourmet cuisine or the love for a town with history and charm all of its own. Wine-inspired dinners, spirit tastings, spa experiences, history tours, cooking demonstrations and shopping welcome and enchant visitors.

Lodging specials and package deals fuel the passion. From dining packages to pampering in luxurious accommodations and the warmest of hospitality, Galena's finest provide a variety of options to cater to every taste and budget. Visit www.wineloversweekend.com for a detailed listing of extended-weekend activities, links to lodging, and an opportunity to purchase tickets online. For information about room availability, shopping, dining, attractions, events and more, please go to galena.org, the Web site of the Galena/Jo Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, or call toll-free 877.464.2536.

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26 Feb 2014

Community calendar announcement: Trip to Germany

By Phil Roberts

September 13, 2014 - September 29, 2014

We have blocked seats on Lufthansa flying from Chicago to Dusseldorf.  Return flight is from Hamburg to Dusseldorf to Chicago.  Price is $1250.

Our group will be taking a Mosel River grape harvest cruise for one week.  We then will be going by train to Schleswig Holstein, having some free time before we attend the Low German Friendship Conference in Eckernforde on the Baltic Sea.  We have found that cabins are still available on the TUI Sonata.  The entire cost (including cruise) is approximately $4000.

Call either Mary Burchett at 563 355-6274 or call Erika Hansen at 563 355-6274 for further information.  We are holding the seats until Monday, March 3.

18 Feb 2014

Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Job Opening

By Dan Gleason
Event Manager


The Event Manager serves as assistant to the Sales and Marketing Department.  This position is responsible for a variety of support services for the entire sales department.  Event management includes working directly with and between the CVB Sales Team, Client's Contact Person, Booked Property(s), and any other relevant personnel associated with the booked event.

Reports to:  VP, SALES

Detailed Duties and Responsibilities:

EVENT MANAGER

  • Assists Sales Manager by taking over sold event
    • Immediately introduced to client as point of contact for event needs and production
    • Initiates and leads local organizing committees (LOC) for events.
    • Schedules monthly (or as necessary) planning meetings for LOC.
    • Assists client with maximizing event attendance
    • Plan and execute events.  Including vendors, logistics, and municipal requests.
    • Assists with creating, maintaining and overseeing established budgets
    • Facilitates rebate process before hotels are listed, and keeps track for collection.
    • Maintains D3000 traces for event production
    • Coordinates servicing necessary for event.  Delegates to Servicing as appropriate.
    • Creates history of the event through requesting, submitting, retrieving, and filing of Evaluations and Room pickups.

 

  • Assists Sales Manager in sponsorship sales and grant writing for events. 
    • Creating sponsor activation proposals
    • Tracking and fulfilling sponsorships
  • Establishing a good relationship with sponsors through communication and follow up.

 

  • Liaison with CVB marketing staff
    • Generates ideas for marketing event
    • Works with marketing department to enhance attendance at events.

 

  • Prospects for new events that can produce revenue for the CVB
Please submit resumes to Dan Gleason, Director of Sales, by email (dgleason@visitquadcities.com) or mail (1601 River Drive, Suite 110, Moline, IL  61265) by Tuesday, March 4th, 2014.
For questions regarding this job opening please contact:

Dan Gleason, CTIS
Director of Sales
Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau
1601 River Drive, Suite 110
Moline, IL  61265
309-736-6828
dgleason@visitquadcities.com
17 Feb 2014

Extreme Weather Conditions

By Pamela Bennett

Travel in rural Scott County is not recommended due to extremely limited visibility from blowing snow. If you must travel, use extreme caution, make sure you have a severe weather travel kit and that someone knows your travel route and estimated time of arrival.

Due to these travel conditions, help could be delayed in getting to your emergency.

11 Feb 2014

STATEMENT REGARDING TUESDAY AIRPORT AUTHORITY BOARD MEETING

By Nicholas Depew

DES MOINES - Today, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement regarding the Des Moines Airport Authority's Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 11:

"We continue to feel that the proposed Pro-Tec contract will imperil the safety of airport customers. The Board's agenda says they will vote on the proposed contract. Once again, we are encouraging concerned members of the public to attend the Authority Board meeting on Tuesday, February 11th at 9 am in the second floor boardroom at the airport terminal in order to express their opposition to the outsourcing plan."

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10 Feb 2014

Governor Quinn Opens Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge Over Mississippi River

By Grant Klinzman

Monumental Bridge Will Improve Safety and Reduce Traffic Congestion

EAST ST. LOUIS - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and a number of local officials to open the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge. The monumental $695 million bridge provides a better and safer way for millions of motorists to cross the Mississippi River between Illinois and Missouri. Today's event is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and build a 21st century infrastructure that will drive Illinois' economy forward.

"The team spirit and diverse participation that went into the planning and construction of this magnificent structure is a fitting tribute to Stan Musial and the veterans after whom it is named," Governor Quinn said. "This is the first new bridge connecting downtown St. Louis and southwestern Illinois that has been built in more than four decades, and it will be a catalyst for business development and job creation for the future."

"This is more than a bridge - it is a road to opportunity for the thousands of people in Illinois and Missouri who have long deserved a faster and safer way to get to work and home again," Transportation Secretary Foxx said. "Last week, President Obama said that 'first-class jobs gravitate to first-class infrastructure,' and there is no bigger example than this first-class bridge of how transportation investments can help businesses and residents alike."

"The new bridge will mean more jobs and more economic opportunity on both sides of the Mississippi," Senator Durbin said. "I was proud to support federal funding for the bridge in Washington and proud to join Senator McCaskill in introducing legislation to name the bridge after both our brave veterans and one of my earliest childhood heroes, Stan 'The Man' Musial. I look forward to the economic boost this bridge will bring to both Illinois and Missouri."

"One-hundred and forty years after the Eads Bridge first linked Missouri and Illinois, the I-70 Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge is the latest span to bring commerce and travelers across the Mississippi River at this nexus of our country," Governor Nixon said. "This is a milestone for trade and transportation that will help this region, and our two states, continue to grow."

The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge is one mile north of the Martin Luther King Bridge. It has two traffic lanes in each direction with room to expand to three lanes, and carries Interstate 70 traffic between Illinois and Missouri, connecting I-70 at the I-55/I-64/I-70 interchange on the Illinois side to I-70 near Cass Avenue in Missouri. Construction began in the summer of 2009. The project, a joint effort by the Illinois and Missouri departments of transportation, has created or supported more than 9,000 jobs.

Illinois contributed $347 million toward the bridge construction, with Missouri contributing $41 million and the federal government contributing $307 million. Part of Illinois' commitment came from Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

"We are excited to open the new Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge to traffic," Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider said. "Thanks to the hard work of our diverse group of trade workers, contractors and consulting engineers who made this project happen, motorists on both sides of the river will have a safer, less congested and faster commute. We are proud of the partnership with the Missouri Department of Transportation and we sincerely appreciate Governor Pat Quinn's unwavering support for this important project as part of our vision to transform Transportation for Tomorrow."

A diverse group of trade workers, contractors, and engineers have worked on the project since it began in 2009. The 24 percent minority workforce participation on the Illinois-funded part of the project is nearly 10 percent higher than the goal set by the Federal Highway Administration and sets a record for construction projects in the Metro East area.

The new bridge and its carefully planned alignment will provide economic benefits to the Metro East area of Illinois. For example, a new interchange was constructed at the relocated Illinois Route 3 that will open the National Stockyards area for redevelopment.

The work in Illinois required the largest archaeological dig in the country from 2009-12. More than 6,000 archaeological features were investigated, and in 2011 the Federal Highway Administration Environmental Excellence Award was presented to the Illinois Department of Transportation for their efforts relating to archaeology in the area. The discoveries made during the project greatly enhanced the knowledge of the civilization that flourished at nearby Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Illinois' only World Heritage Site. The new bridge will make it easier for motorists on the Missouri side of the river to visit Cahokia Mounds.

The existing Poplar Street Bridge carried combined traffic for Interstates 55, 64 and 70 and averages 120,000 vehicles daily. By 2030, the Poplar Street Bridge would have carried more than 150,000 vehicles daily if the Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge had not been built. The new I-70 bridge and the Poplar Street Bridge, which will continue to carry I-55/64 traffic, will mean much less congestion and fewer accidents and will greatly enhance traffic flow between Illinois and Missouri.

The Stan Musial Veterans Memorial Bridge project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest capital construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest capital construction programs in the nation.

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10 Feb 2014

2013 River to River Classic Car Cruise Review & Survey

By Dave Darby
Hello Cruisers!
First off, we'd like to thank all of you for joining us on the third annual Route 6 River to River Cruise across Iowa. With your participation, we helped raise awareness of the original Highway 6, along with the towns and small businesses along the route. We made a tremendous positive economic impact in the communities we visited. This year's cruise was by far the biggest yet, with a total participation of over 200 cars! This was triple what we had in 2012.
With this growth, of course came some growing pains, which, along with a record three detours, one unprepared restaurant (someone told them we weren't coming) and some signage that was late getting installed, caused a few difficulties with staying on route. We are a nonprofit, volunteer group, who are learning as we go.
We did learn from these difficulties, and we will be making a few changes for our fourth River to River cruise, which will be October 10-12, 2014.

There will be better signage, and in addition, there will be maps, turn by turn directions, and scheduled stops, where we can catch back up, and regroup.)

We are presently developing the itinerary for the next cruise, and we would like to invite you to contribute your input.

We want to make sure no one gets lost, that the pace is comfortable, and that you can take in as many of the attractions as possible. We will have volunteers to help manage and guide traffic. This much we have established. We will once again start in Davenport, with a lunch stop in Coralville at Iowa River Power Restaurant in Coralville.
Overnights will include Grinnell, where the Chamber and the Vintage Car Club, along with the Transportation Museum are working together on something big, and in Council Bluffs where the city will be holding a Historic Route 6 Street Fest. All three of the overnight communities, and many others are preparing something special just for us. They saw our numbers, they love your cars, they share our enthusiasm, and they are rolling out their welcome mats.

Speaking of special, we used to have a tradition in Davenport called "Cruising the One ways".

On the Thursday night (October 9th) preceding the cruise, we will have hundreds of cool rides cruising those one ways, and the downtown area restaurants will have special deals for the cruisers.  Afterwards, the good folks from Dahl Ford have extended an invitation to an Open House at their fabulous "Old Cars Home". The Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau will helping us out once again, and we will have lodging lined up for our out of town guests.

You can pre-register for the 2014 Classic car Cruise here:

/https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Pkq4QRSep5h5fRWqUv_6OqbfCXcxxE1sBUxMTDaK4jw/viewform

That said, whether or not you choose to join us again in 2014, we would appreciate if you could spare a few moments to fill out this brief survey (linked below). Also, if you have any other questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to share them with us.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kWtH4gU077FyfBxgtzqAOSST75C5EpElsWx_G7T-T9U/viewform

Once again, we thank you very much for joining us, and for helping make this third River to River Cruise such a memorable one. Without you, it wouldn't have been possible.

03 Feb 2014

DES MOINES AIRPORT AUTHORITY BOARD SHOULD PUT SAFETY FIRST

By Nicholas Depew

DES MOINES - Today, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan issued the following statement regarding the Des Moines Airport Authority's decision to schedule a Board vote for tomorrow on the pending contract with Pro-Tec Fire Services:

"The Des Moines Airport Authority Board is showing a callous disregard for the safety of airport passengers by plowing ahead with this risky, unsafe outsourcing plan. As we detailed in our previous news release, Pro-Tec Fire Services has a troubled history and the Airport Authority's Request for Proposal included staffing requirements that are insufficient to meet OSHA requirements and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) staffing and interior firefighting safety standards. The staffing level is so minimal that in a crash, Pro-Tec employees will only be able to focus on putting the fire out?not assisting injured passengers.

"At a January 29th meeting with Airport Authority managers some current Airport Firefighters/Medics made a sensible proposal to have the Airport Authority hire the current firefighters/medics as Airport Authority employees. The Airport's Assistant Executive Director and General Manager, Kevin Foley, stated that the airport is 'a business and is making a business decision.' He further claimed that the airport does not have to follow OSHA and NFPA standards.

"The Airport Authority is not a business. It is a public entity with board members nominated by the Mayor of Des Moines and appointed by the Des Moines City Council. Its priority should be safety, period."

"We ask all members of the public who support a safe airport to show their opposition to this dangerous proposed contract with Pro-Tec. We encourage them to attend the Authority Board meeting on Tuesday at 9 am in the second floor boardroom at the airport terminal."

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