County Road Projects

WILL COUNTY ROAD PROJECTS

Bell Road Project - Will County has started the reconstruction and widening of Bell Road through Homer Glen. The improved configuration will be a new 4-lane road with double left hand turn lanes at the 143rd/Bell intersection. With the ongoing construction there will be extensive utility relocations which will take place ahead of each phase. Some of the utility relocation has already begun and additional relocations and construction will be ongoing throughout the duration of the Bell Road widening project. The former Shell/Circle K gas station at the northwest corner of 143rd/Bell will be used as a construction staging area throughout the duration of the intersection improvement project. This project is broken down into 3 phases:

159th Street to 151st Street – Substantial completion is now anticipated by the end of May of 2026.

  • DETOUR NOTICE - Traffic has been placed into Stage 4 to facilitate work on the center median. Please stay tuned for additional traffic updates as the project moves into its final phases.
  • PROGRESS UPDATE - Pavement removal is scheduled to begin March 30th. Final paving is anticipated to take place the first week of April. Work on permanent traffic signals, sidewalk and final landscaping is ongoing. UPDATED 3/19/2026


151st Street to Martingale Lane – Project has been awarded to PT Ferro. Construction is anticipated to begin in Spring of 2026.


143rd Street and Bell Road Intersection – Utility relocations and construction ongoing. This project is anticipated to be completed in November of 2027.  

  • DETOUR NOTICE - Stage 1 traffic shift for 143rd Street will take place later this year (2026). 
  • PROGRESS UPDATE (03/19/2026): Storm sewer installation will continue working south from Menards/Firestone. Storm sewer installation on 143rd Street will take place under daily lane closures and will begin once the Bell Road storm sewer installation is complete.

TRAFFIC CONTROL - Construction staging and explanations of new traffic patterns can be found below:

Stage 1

  • During Stage 1, two way traffic will be established along the east side of Bell Road and the south side of 143rd Street with a combination of existing and temporary pavement. Work to be completed in Stage 1 includes:
    • Removal of existing pavement along the west side of Bell Road within the work zone.
    • Grading and earthwork for the new road alignment and profile. 
    • Storm sewer installation. 
    • Retaining wall installation.
    • Curb and gutter.
    • Sidewalk installation.
    • Binder course/asphalt paving for final widening.

bell rd at 143rd StProposed 143rd Street Improvements - Lemont Road (State Street) to Bell Road - a continuous four lane roadway section with a mountable median, curb and gutter, and storm sewers to be constructed to match the adjacent sections of 143rd Street at Lemont Road (westernmost limits, completed in 2014) and at Bell Road.


In 2023, The Will County Division of Transportation held public meetings regarding their study of Parker Road/Chicago-Bloomington Trail/Hadley Road/167th Street from US Route 6 to Will-Cook Road. The study was started to determine the appropriate treatment to bring the roadway up to current standards. During the public information period, Village of Homer Glen residents along the corridor were very vocal that the right-of-way should not be expanded. The residents also strongly supported the maintaining the existing roadway profile, the environmental features adjacent to the roadway and the historic/scenic character of the roadway. 

On September 13, 2023, the Village of Homer Glen Board of Trustees passed Resolution 23-013, supporting the protection of the “Heritage Routes” of Parker Road, Hadley Road and Chicago-Bloomington Trail.  The Village held a Special Board Meeting on October 3, 2023 to hear a presentation from staff, discuss the potential corridor protection and listen to the concerns of residents. Village Trustees discussed that having local control of the roadway was likely the best option for protection.  To take over local control requires a formal transfer of jurisdiction from the County to the Village.  

 At the October 11, 2023 Board meeting, the Village Board authorized staff to move forward with processing a request for Jurisdictional Transfer from Will County in order for the corridor to be added to the Village Street System.  


At the December 5, 2023 Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee, the Director of the Will County Department of Transportation, Jeff Ronaldson, presented a status update on the 143rd Street Reconstruction Project (specifically the segment from Lemont Road east to Bell Road). Will County Board Members Jim Richmond and Steve Balich spoke and explained that numerous residents along the corridor are not supportive of the project. During public comment for this agenda item, opposition of the project was reiterated by 31 residents who spoke and approximately 40 resident emails that were read into the record. The Mayor and a number of Trustees for the Village of Homer Glen also spoke during public comment, also in opposition of the expansion as designed with four lanes and a turn lane. Residents and elected officials preferred the roadway expansion be limited to two lanes with one turn lane. There was consensus among the Committee members that the future of this project could go to a Will County Board vote on whether or not to proceed with the project, as designed. The Committee Chair asked for Will County staff to prepare additional information to bring to the January Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting and then following the Committee meeting the item could move to the Will County Board. 


At the December 13, 2023 Village Board meeting, the Village Board authorized the formal jurisdictional transfer of the corridor and for the streets to be added to the Village Street System and at the December 21, 2023 Will County Board Meeting, the Will County Board authorized the formal jurisdictional transfer formalizing the intent of both entities to move forward with the processing of the transfer with IDOT.  


Exhibits

Village of Homer Glen Resolution 23-013
October 3, 2023 Special Board Meeting Presentation
Will County Project Website
Will County Public Meeting Documents


Will Cook Road North of Oak Hill Drive

PHASE I ENGINEERING STUDY
The Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways (CCDOTH) is leading a preliminary engineering and environmental (Phase I) engineering study of Will Cook Road north of Oak Hill Drive where the Villages of Orland Park and Homer Glen abut. The study limits are along Will Cook Road from 100’ south of Lynch Drive to 660’ south of 151st Street (see map below). Will Cook Road is under the jurisdiction of CCDOTH. The land east of the roadway is Cook County and the land west of the roadway is Will County. The purpose of the Phase I study is to identify a solution that will alleviate the pavement flooding that occurs at the low point in the roadway profile north of Oak Hill Drive, eliminate future road closures and enhance safety.

The roadway is classified as a Local Road and the overall land use in the area is residential. The Average Daily Traffic (ADT) along Will Cook Road is 6,600 vehicles per day and the posted speed limit along this corridor is 45mph. The existing roadway is two lanes with paved shoulders on either side. It is anticipated that the existing two lane roadway configuration will be maintained in the proposed condition as additional lanes are not warranted based on existing traffic volumes. CCDOTH is planning to host a public information meeting for the project in 2025 to present the proposed improvements and obtain feedback from residents prior to proceeding with detailed design and construction. The Phase I study is anticipated to be completed in 2025.

Exhibit 01