By: Diane Benjamin
If you could read between the lines, this story told you: https://blnnews.com/2026/02/24/where-is-the-underpass-normal/
Last October the Normal Council awarded the construction contract to a company in Missouri instead of a local bidder: https://www.millstoneweber.com/
Millstone Weber backed out of the contract early this year. I have a FOIA pending for the emails. Since their contract wasn’t included in the Council packet, I have no idea if a penalty was included.
Normal only had two bids. I believe the local bidder has booked other jobs after losing the contract and are therefore not capable of accepting the contract now.
Even if schedules could be rearranged, the cost is going to be higher than what they bid last June. When is the cost TOO HIGH?
Remember, right now the project has to be completed by June 2027, Normal got an extension until then. If Normal hopes to salvage the project by rebidding it, not only will the cost be even higher but completion by next June won’t happen.
The emails will be added to this story when I receive them.
This was on one of the pages I received by FOIA. In this story the Town was only paying 9% of the total cost: https://blnnews.com/2024/11/27/normals-underpass-history/
Normal agreed to releasing the Bid Bond?
The above email is dated February 10, 2026. On February 4, 2026 Ryan Otto was working to award the contract?
Whew…this is a perfect opportunity for Normal to bow out of this wasteful project without admitting it was a terrible idea from the outset. The once $17M tunnel has grown to $40M before the first change order has even taken place.
Good riddance.
A decade of plans won’t be easy to toss!
The staff and Mayor are desperate to save face because of all the time and money spent so far on this. I expect PJ Hoerr has been quietly told to make up for any cost increases; that staff would be very lenient with any submitted “extras”.
Remember, the Mayor’s goal is to get it built, it is not to complete it at or under budget. Once the work starts, the Town is required to finish it at any cost.
Plus, really, how likely is it that a town staff member would get fired, or there would be any accountability, for a project that goes over budget???
They could “save face” by diverting any money for this ridiculous project to fixing our horrible streets.
Praying Koos demonstrates restraint and humility here: this project shouldn’t be done, God, or Karma, or Luck have throne obstacle after obstacle in its path. You haven’t invested much money yet, so the loss is limited to the salary time and design fees, but these are sunk costs, they are already spent and are unrecoverable, don’t spend tens of millions just because a few hundred thousand would be “wasted”.
Maybe reach back out to Union Pacific to see if they will still pay for most of a pedestrian overpass that meets ADA standards instead.
Build a bridge connecting the current Amtrak station to the south side Amtrak station (obviously there needs to be an elevator on the south side) so passengers have a safe and shorter walk to the other side if need be. There is already infrastructure (elevator) on the North side with in the parking garage/Amtrak station. Forget the “pipe dream” underpass. Bikers and pedestrians can continue to use the Linden Street crossing. There is the solution, where do I claim my consultant fee?
Common sense is never rewarded 😂
That’s right country bumpkin, even in the 90’s State Farm construction “planned for 25% cost over runs plus the Bloomington factor.” In quotes because I got that straight from the mouth of an SF employee that worked in the appropriate department. I did ask what the Bloomington factor meant and was told, “just more money.”
I have written to trustees to ask that they scuttle this project and go back to over pass. One answer I got is that our Mayor is hell-bent on completing this project and it will happen no matter the cost.
No surprise. It will take many people saying NO
markowitz had the judydome, koos must have the chriscave
The underpass is Koo’s legacy project. He isn’t doing it because it is needed. He is doing it to stroke his ego. Cost means nothing to him.
Who taught the Town of Normal Planning Dept their craft ? Did any city planner in Normal even attend a recognized/accredited degree program in this field ?
I Wonder.
Look at the access roads into Chick fil-a and Dave’s – clogged with traffic. Almost as if the Town of Normal is SO DESPERATE for Any business to open they don’t even recognize fundamental planning principles and just approve anything.
So who is paying Parks & Recs to do they extra work and supply??????? We are!!! Drop it taxpayers were never in favor and commonsense will tell you cost will go up before completion. So drop the plan and build the overpass which was approved and would have been in operation for several years.