County Expands Protections for Major Road Corridor with Freeway Designation

The Will County Executive Committee voted Thursday to designate a two-mile stretch of Manhattan-Monee Road as a county freeway, adding new protections for the recently acquired roadway while sparking debate about future development impacts.

The designation of County Highway 6 between Route 45 and Center Road as a freeway requires developers to dedicate 75 feet of right-of-way instead of the standard 60 feet and gives the county board oversight of new access points. The county recently took jurisdiction of the segment from the state.

“The county does a fabulous job,” said Committee Chair Judy Ogalla, noting the visible difference in maintenance between county and state-maintained sections. “I know exactly when the county is no longer taking care of that road and when the state is taking care of that road.”

County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson explained the designation’s three main impacts:

• Requires county board approval for new access points
• Mandates 75-foot right-of-way dedication from new developments
• Limits major access points to quarter-mile intervals

Some committee members expressed concerns about potential impacts on existing residents. Board member Steve Balich voted against the measure, comparing it to previous controversial road projects.

“It reminds me of the same crap we got at 143rd Street,” Balich said. “We start off with something that sounds nice and then next thing you know, government overreach here it comes.”

Ronaldson assured the committee that improvements would include left turn lanes where warranted and said the two-mile section is included in the county’s five-year improvement plan.