Will County Lowers Cedar Road Speed Limit Amid Debate Over Curve Safety and Fatalities

Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | April 7, 2026

Article Summary: The Will County Public Works and Transportation Committee approved lowering a segment of Cedar Road to 45 mph, sparking a debate over the effectiveness of speed limits, driver compliance, and the context of recent fatal accidents near the road’s infamous S-curve.

Cedar Road Speed Limit Key Points:

• A 0.43-mile segment of Cedar Road (Summerfield Drive to US Route 6) will drop from 50 mph to 45 mph.

• The adjacent 0.57-mile segment (Chicago-Bloomington Trail to Summerfield Drive), which includes the S-curve, will remain at 50 mph.

• County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson clarified that of the four fatalities on the corridor since 2017, the two oldest were alcohol-related, and the two most recent did not occur at the curves.

• Board members expressed ongoing anxiety regarding the roadway’s configuration, with some suggesting flashing LED stop signs for intersecting streets.

The Will County Board Public Works & Transportation Committee on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, approved speed limit alterations along Cedar Road (County Highway 4), a decision that prompted a detailed discussion about a notorious S-curve, recent fatal accidents, and the limits of engineering to correct driver behavior.

The committee reviewed a comprehensive speed study for the corridor spanning from US Route 6 to the Chicago-Bloomington Trail in New Lenox and Homer Townships. Based on the data, the committee passed an ordinance to establish Zone 548, dropping the speed limit from 50 mph to 45 mph on the southernmost 0.43-mile segment from Summerfield Drive to US Route 6.

However, the adjacent 0.57-mile stretch containing the S-curve—designated as Zone 713 from the Chicago-Bloomington Trail to Summerfield Drive—did not warrant a reduction based on the engineering study, and will remain at 50 mph.

“We did speed studies along the whole corridor, and none of the other segments warranted a lowering of the speed limit,” County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson told the committee. He noted that the southern segment justifies the 45 mph limit due to the density of homes and businesses closer to Route 6.

Board Member David G. Oxley (R-Lockport) questioned the safety of maintaining the 50 mph speed limit directly exiting the S-curve, noting the presence of immediate curb cuts, forest preserve access, and new residential driveways. Board Member Mark V. Revis (R-Plainfield) pressed Ronaldson on whether the Board had the authority to override the engineering data and lower the speed limit anyway based on community concern.

Ronaldson confirmed that state statute does allow the Board to lower the limit independently, but he cautioned against it. Will County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne (D-Wilmington) added his perspective from years on the committee.

“When you do a speed study, it actually is contradictive because it shows the comfortability of the drivers, of how fast they feel safe,” VanDuyne said. “To actually lower the speed limit… you could cause a worse problem.”

Ronaldson agreed, noting that artificially low speed limits often frustrate drivers, leading to aggressive passing maneuvers.

The debate also touched on the tragic history of the corridor, which was noted to have suffered four fatalities in recent years. Ronaldson provided critical context to those statistics.

“The oldest one, four, five, six years ago, fatality 2017, was alcohol and speed related. 2020, also alcohol related,” Ronaldson explained. “The two newest ones, ’23 and ’25, they’re both under investigation so I can’t go into details, but neither one of those were at these curves… To say it’s just this curve is not quite accurate.”

Ronaldson emphasized that the county has already exceeded standard safety requirements on the curve, installing extensive advisory speed plates and highly visible black-and-yellow chevron signs.

Despite the data, Board Member Steve Balich (R-Homer Glen) voiced the ongoing anxiety shared by many residents who navigate the area.

“I could just tell you every time I go over in that area, I’m a nervous wreck because you don’t know which direction the cars are going to come from,” Balich said. “There’s too many streets connecting to that S-curve… but if you lower the speed limit, they’re still going to go the speed that they go. That ain’t going to change. But whether or not they stop like they’re supposed to, that’s where the problem is.”

Board Member Kelly Hickey (D-Naperville) suggested exploring stop signs equipped with flashing LED borders for the intersecting streets to grab drivers’ attention. Ronaldson noted that the county has utilized flashing beacons on top of signs in the past, but “still people will go through those. So, I don’t know if that would really make a difference. It’s more people not following the law, and it doesn’t really matter what we do to some extent.”

The ordinances to officially alter the speed zones were passed unanimously and will advance to the full County Board for final approval.