James McHugh Construction Co.

McHugh in the News:

CHICAGO - James McHugh Construction Co. has substantially completed reconstruction of the original 10-span arch bridge over the Fox River on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) six months ahead of schedule.

The span replicates the original 1958 bridge with a series of five arches, rarely seen in modern infrastructure construction. McHugh completed a virtually identical new eastbound bridge in 2008.

The two bridges increase traffic capacity to three lanes with full shoulders in each direction instead of two under the Illinois Tollway's $6.3 billion Congestion Relief Program.

Under the original contract, the bridge was slated for completion in May 2010; instead, the bridge opened on December 2, 2009. McHugh served as general contractor for the project, with Chicago-based Teng & Associates the engineers of record.

The learning curve developed from building the first bridge helped McHugh complete the work so early, said Michael Gould, McHugh vice president of infrastructure, as did a good rapport with the Tollway. "We had an excellent relationship with the Tollway, built during construction of the first bridge, and that made a difference," Gould said. "We also worked to compress the schedule and really pushed ourselves as much as possible."

Some work will continue into spring to complete a small section of pavement between the two IL Route 31 ramps; it could not be completed until the new westbound bridge opened. Some median work on the mainline also continues, as well as some landscaping work under the bridge that could not be executed in the winter.

McHugh demolished the original 1958 bridge just north of the new eastbound bridge, built a new structure, and widened and repaved three miles of the westbound tollway between the Aurora Toll Plaza and Orchard Road, under a $31.4 million contract with the Tollway as part of its Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) Rebuild & Widen Project. The new bridge is made of structural precast concrete and features a series of five arches to replicate the original design, along with that of the eastbound bridge.

Among the project's challenges were building in the river and demolishing the existing 1958 bridge. The Fox River is not navigable around the bridge, and subject to constant rapid water flows. McHugh worked from the river's banks and built temporary access structures, including a temporary bridge, to deliver materials and perform work while maintaining the river's flow, said Gould. While building the new eastbound span, McHugh persevered through a 500-year flood event and two 100-year flood events. As a result, the team was better prepared for the changing dynamics of the Fox River during construction of the westbound bridge.

Demolition, which was not a part of the first bridge, posed an even greater challenge. To keep the bridge balanced and stable during demolition, McHugh had to reduce the weight on the bridge deck as much as possible, and then demolish each arch "barrel" from north to south, carefully reducing the width of each arch while maintaining its stability, Gould said. The team also created extensive systems to protect against debris falling into the river.

Like the previous bridge, this project required a great deal of coordination among a number of public agencies and private interests, since the bridge spans IL Route 25, an existing public road where several businesses operate; a Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing; and a portion of the Fox River Trail bicycle path. As a result, McHugh coordinated work with the Tollway, Village of North Aurora, City of Aurora, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, Illinois Commerce Commission, Fox Valley Park District, Fox Metro Sanitary District, Army Corp of Engineers, and several utilities.

The new bridge is 1,345 feet long, supported by 10 spans underneath the roadway, including five 178-foot-long spans. The five arches were created using 40 structural precast concrete arch segments, each weighing 92 tons, cast nearby by McHugh and then carefully trucked to the river. The team reused several of the existing bridge's rock foundations.

Along with the new eastbound Fox River Bridge, named one of Roads & Bridges magazine's Top 10 Bridges in North America in 2008, McHugh has completed several high-profile projects for the Illinois Tollway in recent years. These include reconstruction of pavilion buildings at seven Tollway Oases, which earned an Award of Merit from Midwest Construction; and three Open Road Tolling toll plazas, which won awards from the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association. It also was recognized by the Chicago Department of Transportation for the new North Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River, for which it was named CDOT's Structural Contractor of the Year; and the 18th Street Pedestrian Bridge, CDOT's first design-build bridge.

Founded in 1897, McHugh is one of Chicago's oldest and largest general contracting, construction management and consulting firms. Current projects include the acclaimed Aqua tower in Chicago's new Lakeshore East area and three new apartment towers in downtown Chicago.