Work is set to begin on a four-year, $475-million makeover of Chicago's Circle Interchange, the nation's worst bottleneck for trucks and one of the worst for automobiles. The Illinois Department of Transportation says the revamped interchange, where the Eisenhower, Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways converge west of Chicago's Loop, will reduce congestion by at least 50%. IDOT estimates the project will create 5,000 construction jobs.Initial work will involve the Morgan Street Bridge and eventually encompass bridges, roadways and drainage systems for the expressways that make up the interchange, also known as the “spaghetti bowl” due to the curvilinear nature of

The Chicago Planning Commission has approved plans by the Chicago Cubs to perform $300 million in renovations to the club's 99-year-old Wrigley Field and develop $200 million in hospitality, office and retail space on parcels surrounding the iconic structure. Chicago's city council is expected to approve project plans next week. Renovations to Wrigley Field will be funded by doubling the amount of ballpark signage to 51,000 square feet, with plans calling for erection of a large video board, or jumbotron, in left field and a script sign in right field.Additional plans include construction of a six-story office and retail structure

Construction is under way on a $550-million replacement facility for the Rehabilitation Institution of Chicago (RIC) on Chicago's Gold Coast, with Schaumburg, Ill.-based Power Construction serving as contractor on the 27-story project.  The facility, designed by the joint-venture team of Gensler and HDR Architecture, both of Chicago, will feature 242 beds when completed in 2016. The 1.2-million sq-ft facility also will contain three times more space than the facility it is slated to replace.In May, the Illinois Financing Authority approved plans by RIC to fund the project with up to $450 million in bonds. RIC also plans to fund 60%

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Indiana Governor Mike Pence met in Rosemont, Ill., on Monday and Tuesday to host a conference promoting a proposed 47-mile expressway linking the two states. The two governors say the expressway, which would link I-55 in Illinois to I-65 in Indiana, is critical to reducing congestion into Chicago and creating temporary and permanent jobs. “This is a vital link,” Quinn told conference attendees on Monday. “It's about logistics. It's about distribution. It's about covering the Heartland.”If built, the so-called “Illiana Expressway” would create 9,000 construction jobs and 25,000 permanent jobs, according to the Illinois Department

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has invited the City of Chicago to apply for a federal loan to fund construction of an $884 million intermodal facility at Chicago's O’Hare International Airport. Along with previously issued bonds, a $292-million federal loan would finance development of a multi-story facility that consolidates rental-car and public parking while extending an existing airport transit system at O'Hare. Assuming the city's application is approved, USDOT would authorize the loan under a provision of the 1998 Transportation Infrastructure Finance Innovation Act, which provides credit assistance for infrastructure projects of national or regional significance.As planned, the facility would

Houston-based EDP Renewables North America (EDPR) has reached an agreement with Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) to construct a $350-million to $400-million wind farm containing up to 100 turbines in Randolph County, Ind., about 25 miles east of Muncie. Under the agreement, the proposed Headwaters Wind Farm will supply I&M with 200MW of power over a period of 20 years. I&M indicated the arrangement will help it fulfill a 2007 agreement between parent company AEP and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to increase its use of renewable energy. The agreement settled litigation over allegations that 16 AEP coal-fueled power plants violated

Metropolitan Chicago lost more construction jobs (-5,900, -5%) in April than any metro market in the nation, according to year-over-year data compiled by Arlington,Va.-based Associated General Contractors of America. Losses also were steep in Cincinnati (-2,400, -6%), the nation's third worst performer in April.  On a percentage basis, employment declines were especially sharp in Decatur, Ill. (-18%, -700 jobs); Eau Claire, Wis. (-17%, -500 jobs), Rockford, Ill. (-17%, -700 jobs) and Detroit (-12%, -2,100 jobs).The news was somewhat better for other Midwest metro markets, including Milwaukee (5%, -1,100 jobs), and  Indianapolis (+.5%, 200 jobs), though regional construction activity continues to

When a new $90-million classroom and lab facility at University of Illinois is completed next year, the sum of its sustainable parts will total net-zero. Put another way, the 230,000-sq-ft College of Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECE), currently under construction in Urbana, will only consume as much energy as it harvests. To date, the Department of Energy has classified only a handful of U.S. facilities as net-zero energy buildings, the majority of them no larger than 15,000 sq ft. Related Links: Owner of the Year: University of Illinois Sets Aggressive Sustainabiltiy Schedule Blue Cross Raises a Green Shield The

 NiShen Ni has joined the St. Louis office of architect-engineer HOK as an urban designer. Prior to joining the St. Louis office, Ni worked in HOK's Hong Kong office. He also was with Wheeler Kerns Architects in Chicago. Ni is working in HOK's planning group, serving as a project designer and a coordinator for building information modeling. Related Links: ENR Midwest People Showcase ENR Midwest Project Showcase     Chris Deiss has joined Neenah, Wis.-based contractor Miron Construction Co. as project manager. Deiss, who has 20 years of industry experience, was previously a superintendent with a contractor in Kaukauna, Wis. He is

By its own admission, Kansas City, Mo.-based designer Burns & McDonnell can be a bit of a plodder when branching into new practice areas, a tendency it says sometimes requires patience from management.