Submitted By
Bill McKenna, Village Engineer
Reviewed By
CLP
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Resolution Approving a Preliminary Engineering Services Agreement for Federal Participation with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for a Feasibility Study of Expanded Bridge Decking over the I-290 Expressway, in an amount not to exceed $1,314,946 and Authorizing its Execution
End
Overview
Overview
The Village previously received Federal funds for capping I-290 (Cap the Ike). The Village entered into an agreement with URS Corporation, now AECOM, in 2009 for a phase I preliminary engineering study to Cap the Ike. Work on the study was suspended when IDOT began its preliminary engineering design of the I-290 Reconstruction project in order to ensure that any caps over I-290 would be feasible and compatible with IDOT’s design of proposed I-290 corridor. The Federal Highway Authority is requiring that the phase I study be converted into a feasibility study to comply with their policies regarding timelines of engineering studies and advancing towards construction. The feasibility study allows the Village to move forward with studying expanded bridge decking, most notably at Oak Park Avenue and East Avenue, and aesthetic treatments on the various bridges over I-290. The study is 100% federally funded.
Body
Staff Recommendation
Approve the Resolution
Fiscal Impact
The FY2017 budget includes $747,931 for the Cap the Ike Study in the Capital Improvement Fund account #3095-43780-101-570706 and the FY2018 budget includes $1.5M in funds in the same CIP account which will be used to fund this work. The federal grant pays 100% of the costs for this study. The Village pays up front and is reimbursed by the State for the work.
There is currently $720,294 in federal funds for the current phase I study which will be transferred to this feasibility study. There are 3 additional grants for the Cap the Ike Study which have not been activated yet for an additional $4,307,080 which will be used for study and design of the proposed caps and the Home Avenue bridge replacement. The Village will activate a portion of one of these grants to fund the additional $594,652 needed for this study.
Background
The Village previously received Federal Funds for studies and work related to capping I-290 (Cap the Ike) and entered into an agreement with URS Corporation, now AECOM, for this work. URS completed a conceptual study and entered into an agreement with the Village for the preliminary engineering phase I study for these caps in 2009. Work on this study was suspended when IDOT began its preliminary engineering design of the I-290 Reconstruction project in order to ensure that any caps over I-290 would be feasible and compatible with IDOT’s design of proposed I-290 corridor. The larger caps that were conceptualized with the original Cap the Ike concept study could not feasibly be constructed since this would require substantially lowering I-290 and the rail lines which would create flooding concerns. IDOT is nearing completion of the Phase I preliminary engineering work for the I-290 Reconstruction project and has identified opportunities where caps and enhanced bridges can be built without making their project impractical to construct. These locations are identified in the attached Letter of Intent (LOI) exhibits.
The Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) required that work resume on the Cap the Ike phase I study since it has been stagnant for a long time or it would take the funds back and have the Village reimburse previously incurred expenses for this work. As a result the Village resumed work on the study this spring and was working with AECOM and FHWA to revise the scope of the phase 1 study to make it consistent with the current expanded decking concepts.
FHWA policies require that any engineering phase I study progress towards construction within 10 years from the start of the study. FHWA had concerns that the phase I Cap the Ike study could not advance towards construction within this 10 year time period since construction of the expanded bridge decks would need to occur as part of the I-290 reconstruction project and IDOT does not have funding in place for the future design or construction of the I-290 project. Staff worked with IDOT and FHWA to develop a strategy to allow the Village to move forward within the framework of their policies by converting the current phase I study to a feasibility study which does not have the 10 year requirement and also do a separate phase I engineering study of the Home Avenue bridge replacement since construction of this bridge can be done independently of IDOT’s I-290 project. Much of the work being done in the feasibility study can be incorporated into a future formal engineering phase I study of the expanded decks.
The proposed feasibility study focusses on the expanded bridge decking opportunities identified in the LOI with the primary emphasis on the Oak Park Avenue and East Avenue decks. The study also includes evaluating the various aesthetic treatments considered in the LOI on the bridges and how these treatments connect aesthetically with the expanded decking options and even with noise walls. Other items in the scope of the study include identifying funding opportunities for the bridges by evaluating options for TIF districts or SSAs; best uses for the expanded decks including creating either a building or a platform for a building for a commercial development at Oak Park Avenue and for athletic fields and facilities or park space at the East Avenue deck; options on how to incorporate and coordinate CTA station replacements with these caps; preliminary structural design of the bridges; environmental impacts to the caps; parking and traffic impacts to caps; and cost analysis.
The Home Avenue bridge is not included in this scope as it will have its own phase I engineering study because the Home Avenue bridge can potentially be constructed independently from the I-290 Reconstruction project. Staff will submit a separate item to the Village Board in the first quarter of 2018 for a phase I study of the Home Avenue bridge with the intent of advancing this bridge through the design process so that it could be built prior to the I-290 project in case Federal Funds become available for this work.
The Village has the current grant which has $720,294 remaining plus three additional grants for the Cap the Ike Study which have not been activated yet for an additional $4,307,080 which will be used for this feasibility study and future design work related to expanded bridge decking and bridges over I-290.
Staff is proposing to utilize the Community Design Commission (CDC) to act as an advisory commission to the Board for this study. Staff and the consultant would work with the CDC to refine concepts at these expanded decks and for the aesthetic treatments on the various bridges. Preferred alternatives would be presented to the Village Board for final approval.
Alternatives
The alternative to this recommendation could be to delay action to gain additional information.
Previous Board Action
On August 4, 2003 the Village Board approved an agreement with URS Corporation for a conceptual study of capping the Ike.
On April 3, 2006 the Village Board approved an agreement with the State for the current Cap the Ike study.
On May 18, 2009 the Village Board approved an agreement with URS Corporation for the current Cap the Ike Study.
On August 1, 2016 the Village Board approved a Letter of Intent (LOI) with IDOT for the I-290 Reconstruction Project.
On July 17, 2017 the Village Board Approved an Assignment and Consent Agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for the Cap the Ike Study (Bridge Decking).
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
Staff is proposing to utilize the Community Design Commission (CDC) as an advisory committee to review and comment on the various design considerations which will be part of this study and ultimately to make a recommendation to the Board on preferred alternatives.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Staff will present an agreement, or an amendment to the existing agreement, with the State of Illinois for this feasibility study after IDOT reviews and approved the proposed agreement at a future Board meeting.
Staff will present a separate item in the first quarter of 2018 for a phase I engineering study for the replacement of the Home Avenue bridge.
Pending Village Board concurrence, an item will be added to the CDC’s 2018 work plan to act as an advisory commission for the feasibility study.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
This project involves the Village working with the State of Illinois for portions of the design and construction of caps and expanded decks over I-290.
Performance Management (MAP) Alignment
This work is in alignment with the Governance Priority for the Department of Public Works for Infrastructure/Capital Programs.