There are very few investments that have a better return than those the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) makes in our infrastructure. Through my experience as a contractor and as the President of the Associated General Contractors of Illinois, I’ve seen first-hand how investments in infrastructure go beyond fixing our roads and bridges. Each project is an investment in small businesses, many of them local, who come together to complete the work that ensures farmers and manufacturers can get their products to market, people can get to school and work, and we all experience safer and faster commutes to visit family and friends.

When our business takes on a project funded by IDOT, we bring numerous small businesses to work with us. Many subcontractors work with us to ensure work is done with an eye toward the best value to taxpayers. Each of us relies on the men and women who come to our job sites ready to work every day, regardless of the weather. When we have reliable work, our companies and our employees reinvest that money right back into our local economies through the purchase of equipment, groceries, houses, and cars.

For some contractors, work has increased around 20% since Rebuild Illinois passed. Contractors frequently use local dealers for equipment repairs, but, with growing demand, many can now consider buying new equipment as well. The increased workload has increased the need for full-time employees within contracting businesses and increased the need for local labor. For the first time in years, some local unions are running out of workers, a challenge that those of us in the business couldn’t have imagined a few years ago.

The benefits to local economies all over the state extend beyond direct jobs. When IDOT bids a project, the project is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. This process protects taxpayers from overpaying for projects while safeguarding the quality of construction. Taxpayers are assured they are not overpaying, but they are also assured the public infrastructure they have built their lives and businesses on will not be allowed to fall apart.

Prior to the passage of Rebuild Illinois, funding to repair and maintain our transportation network had been stagnant and inadequate for nearly three decades. To make needed repairs, the state had to borrow money, limiting the number and scope of repairs, and also driving up the cost of those repairs. Homeowners know that major repairs sometimes require a loan, but annual maintenance should not go on the credit card. Just like home repairs, putting off needed maintenance on our roads, bridges, and transit systems created more damage that needed repair and, in turn, drove up the price of construction.

Rebuild Illinois ended that cycle. With sustainable funding, Illinois’ infrastructure will continue to improve and be maintained into the future. Unpredictability and stagnant funding also affected contractors around Illinois. Many contractors had to find ways to downsize or face the tough decision to close shop or consolidate. With predictable funding, there are greater opportunities for smaller contractors to build a business and grow their local economies.

At the same time, Rebuild Illinois is helping Illinois maximize federal tax dollars back to our state. When Rebuild Illinois passed, the Illinois Department of Transportation was uncertain whether Illinois would be able to continue winning federal funding to match our state investment. Today, thanks to the leadership of the General Assembly, Governor Pritzker, and Secretary Osman, Illinois not only matches all of our federal dollars, but competes successfully to win federal grant funds for urban and rural projects, big or small.

The assurance of long-term, sustainable funding has persuaded the contractors our association represents that they can invest in a future in Illinois. It has allowed us to keep experienced talent in Illinois, ensuring that the work being done is of the highest quality, provides the best return on taxpayer investment, and will help to solidify Illinois’ place as the nation’s most connected state.

Bradley Bruins

Bradley J. Bruins is a Senior Estimator/Project Manager at Advanced Asphalt Company and the President of the Associated General Contractors of Illinois.

Palmyra, Illinois