This project was the winner of the ACEC Excellence Eminent Conceptor Award 2009.

CLIENT

IDOT

PROJECT START DATE

2003

PROJECT COMPLETION DATE

2008

Chicago, Illinois

Singh & Associates, Inc. (SINGH) provided professional engineering services for the preparation of contract plans, estimates and specifications for a new lighting system for the Dan Ryan Expressway from 95th Street to 69th Street. The entire project consisted of the reconstruction and widening of this major expressway from 4 to 5 lanes in each direction, improvement to existing retaining walls, traffic signals, auxiliary lanes and a new highway lighting system.

The project required high mast and conventional lights. The expressway also contains a wide median occupied by a multi-track commuter rail line. The proposed design overlaps plans for removal of existing luminaries, temporary lighting and power fields and installation of 103 high mast lights. SINGH’s design accommodated the removal of temporary lighting and the installation of permanent lighting over a 3-year period without any lane closures on the expressway. The expressway has high traffic volume of more than 260,000 vehicles per day. SINGH’s team coordinated with other consultants to insure that a uniform bid package was provided.

SINGH’s design included the removal of conventional lighting in medians to 110 feet high mast towers with multi-head luminaries. The design was completed using a state of the art light design program. The engineering team confirmed with the Illinois Department of Transportation photometric performance requirements. A major component in the successful completion of this project included maintaining strong communication links with IDOT, lead and section consultant during design and plan preparations. This project required the team to gather engineering resources to provide rapid updates to contract plans as the design direction was confirmed with IDOT and engineering decisions were implemented.