Chicago Construction News staff writer
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District has awarded a $15.5 million contract to Miami Marine Services for site preparation and riverbed rock removal on the Brandon Road interbasin project near Joliet. The work will prepare the area for the construction of an engineered channel aimed at preventing invasive carp from migrating upstream.
Miami Marine Services, based in Miami, will partner with Michels Construction, a Wisconsin-based company, for the first phase of this multi-phase project. This contract represents the initial stage of the estimated $1.15 billion project, which seeks to protect the Great Lakes from invasive species.
In July, Illinois and Michigan signed a long-awaited partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, unlocking $274 million in federal funding and $114 million in state funding to advance the project.
The $1.15 billion project is divided into three construction phases. The first phase involves preparing the site by removing rocks from the riverbed and preparing for the installation of the deterrent systems. Subsequent phases will complete the construction of the barrier systems.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) officials have worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the planning and design phases of the project, which started in December 2020. Also, Illinois and the Corps are addressing potential impacts on the Des Plaines River. The state has also initiated improvements to the Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery in Mason County to mitigate any upstream environmental effects.