Governor Quinn Announces $6 Million for Construction Projects in Lake and McHenry Counties

MCHENRY - Governor Pat Quinn today announced capital investments of nearly $7 million for construction projects in Lake and McHenry counties. The investments will create jobs and improve transportation safety and efficiency. Funded by his Illinois Jobs Now! construction program, the projects are part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"These investments in Lake and McHenry counties are putting people to work, creating jobs that will help drive the local economy," Governor Quinn said. "They are also helping to repair and maintain Illinois' infrastructure to improve safety and efficiency throughout the region."

Today's announcement follows last week's news that Illinois' unemployment rate declined in July to 6.8 percent from June's 7.1 percent. During July, 11,200 new private sector jobs were added, including 3,900 manufacturing jobs. The state's unemployment rate has fallen steadily since July 2013, when it stood at 9.2 percent, and has completed its steepest 12-month decline of 2.4 percentage points since August 1984. Since February 2010, Illinois has added 263,100 private sector jobs.

Construction payrolls are up by 8,500 jobs since the beginning of the year, nearly four times as strong as the gain posted for this same period in 2013. Specialty trade contractors' payrolls posted healthy gains for the third straight month, fueled in large part by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program.

The projects below will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Lake County

Various state-maintained routes in western Lake County will receive intermittent resurfacing for $683,722 by J.A. Johnson Paving Company of Arlington Heights, the lower of two bidders.

Various state-maintained routes in eastern Lake County will receive intermittent resurfacing for $2,548,788 by J.A. Johnson Paving Company of Arlington Heights, the lower of two bidders.

McHenry County

Various state routes in McHenry County will receive intermittent resurfacing for $1,172,618 by Peter Baker & Son Co. of Lake Bluff, the lower of two bidders.

U.S. 14/Northwest Highway will receive shoulders, rumble strips and guardrail work from Bunker Hill Road to Illinois Route 47 in Woodstock for $2,543,258 by Peter Baker & Son Co. of Lake Bluff, the lower of two bidders.

The projects are 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 construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.