Kankakee awards $2.37M MFT street maintenance contract to Gallagher Asphalt; council flags scheduling expectations

The council on May 4 approved awarding the city’s 2026 motor-fuel-tax (MFT) street maintenance contract to Gallagher Asphalt, the low bidder at about $2.374 million. City staff said only two bids were received and the city’s engineer recommended awarding to Gallagher; the engineer’s estimate was approximately $2.18 million.

Councilors and staff discussed the bid environment and contractor performance history. One alderman noted prior delays with the same contractor on an earlier project and asked how the city would ensure timely completion; city staff said schedule expectations will be documented in the pre-construction conference and the administrative team will consider options if performance problems recur.

The mayor and city engineer explained that some scope adjustments may be necessary to align final construction with budget constraints and that those would be decided within a short window (about seven days) to proceed with the contract. Staff emphasized the desire to prioritize major arterial streets and that the administrative team would refine the program to match available funds.

The council approved the MFT contract award (vote recorded at 13 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention). The council later approved the bond-funded portion of the street maintenance program, also awarded to Gallagher, by a separate resolution (vote 13 yes, 0 no, 1 abstention on that item).