Illinois Quick Hits: $63M construction research center completed

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – State officials have marked the completion of the $63 million Materials Testing and Research Center at Illinois Department of Transportation headquarters in Springfield.

In addition to housing IDOT’s Bureau of Research offices and library, the building will be home to the Bureau of Programming’s traffic instrumentation laboratory and the materials lab for District 6, which serves 15 counties in central Illinois.

Each year, IDOT spends more than $1.5 billion on construction materials, which account for about half of all construction costs.

ILLINOIS GAS PRICES RISE

Gas prices are up since the United States launched new military strikes against Iran on Tuesday.

According to AAA, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Illinois increased to $4.06 on Thursday, 6 cents higher than the day before. The average Illinois diesel price rose just over a penny to $4.90.

AAA’s national averages are $3.85 for regular unleaded and $4.81 for diesel.

MAN SENTENCED FOR ATTEMPTED FENTANYL POSSESSION AND DISTRIBUTION

A district judge has sentenced a Metropolis man to five years and three months in prison plus four years of supervised release after he admitted that he attempted to possess with intent to distribute over 54 grams of fentanyl.

Prosecutors said law enforcement intercepted two packages of fentanyl pills being delivered to Jason J. Gallo, 54, from California in 2024. Gallo was also ordered to pay a $1,500 fine.

INDIAN CITIZEN SENTENCED FOR EVADING U.S. CUSTOMS DUTIES

A citizen of India who worked as a jewelry exporter’s accountant has been sentenced to 10 months in prison for conspiring to avoid U.S. Customs duties on shipments imported by a suburban Chicago company.

Prosecutors said Ravi Kapadia, 46, conspired with the owner of a United Arab Emirates exporter and others to fraudulently import gold jewelry by falsely claiming that the jewelry was manufactured in Oman.

Kapadia was ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. for evading more than $1.89 million in customs duties in 2019 and 2020. Kapadia’s conviction subjects him to removal from the country.

LAKE MICHIGAN EARTHQUAKE REPORTED

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 2.9 earthquake northeast of Chicago in Lake Michigan on Wednesday.

No injuries or damage was immediately reported.