The Brandon Road Interbasin Project, located on the Illinois River near Joliet, has advanced with the awarding of its first construction contract. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, awarded a $15.5 million contract to Miami Marine Services on November 27 for site preparation and riverbed rock removal. Miami Marine will collaborate with Michels Construction from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to complete this task.
This project is a federal initiative with Illinois and Michigan as non-federal sponsors. It aims to prevent invasive carp from moving upstream into the Great Lakes. The initial contract is part of three construction increments in a project estimated at $1.15 billion.
Governor JB Pritzker remarked, "Awarding the first construction contract is an exciting and important step forward for this long-anticipated project." He emphasized the importance of protecting the Great Lakes as both a natural resource and an economic engine.
A significant milestone was reached on July 1 when Illinois signed a project partnership agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Michigan, allowing construction to proceed. This agreement facilitates $274 million in federal funding alongside $114 million in state funding from Illinois and Michigan.
The Brandon Road Lock and Dam has been identified as a critical point where technologies can be applied to halt invasive carp populations from entering the Great Lakes. The project will use various deterrents at this site to prevent such movement along the Illinois Waterway.
Experts from multiple offices within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have collaborated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since December 2020 during preconstruction phases.
Additionally, design efforts have begun concerning improvements at Jake Wolf Memorial Fish Hatchery in Mason County to address aquatic impacts on the Des Plaines River due to construction activities.
For more information about the Brandon Road Interbasin Project, visit their website.
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