Will County to Take Jurisdiction of Countyline Road Following $1.8 Million Agreement with Kankakee County

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

Article Summary: Will County will absorb a 4.27-mile stretch of Countyline Road into its highway system, aided by a $1.84 million financial contribution from Kankakee County to help cover the costs of replacing two aging bridge structures.

Countyline Road Transfer Key Points:

• Kankakee County is transferring jurisdiction of E12000N Road (CH 16) to Will County.

• The 4.27-mile segment runs from IL Route 50 east to just west of Will-Center Road.

• Kankakee County will pay Will County $1,840,000 in four annual installments of $460,000.

• The funds will specifically target the reconstruction of two bridge structures (046-3232 and 046-3233).

A 4.27-mile stretch of shared border road will soon fall under the sole jurisdiction of Will County, following the Public Works & Transportation Committee’s approval of a jurisdictional transfer agreement with Kankakee County on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

Under the agreement, Kankakee County will transfer its jurisdiction of E12000N Road (Kankakee County Highway 16) to Will County, where it will be designated as Will County Highway 58. The segment extends from the east edge of pavement of Illinois Route 50 easterly to approximately 1,260 feet west of N8000E Road (Will-Center Road).

To facilitate the transfer and assist with the corridor’s eventual modernization, the Kankakee County Highway Department has agreed to contribute $1,840,000 to Will County.

“Kankakee County is going to give us $1.8 million, which is pretty much the entire cost of the structure,” County Engineer Jeff Ronaldson told the committee. “I think we came up to a very reasonable solution.”

The funds will be paid in four annual installments of $460,000 and are specifically earmarked for the reconstruction of two bridge structures (046-3232 and 046-3233) located within the transfer limits.

With the jurisdiction officially shifting, Will County is wasting no time initiating the necessary engineering. Ronaldson noted that the county will “bring forward the contract to actually start the Phase One of that whole corridor” within the next two to three months.

The agreement requires final approval from the full Will County Board and the Illinois Department of Transportation. Kankakee County’s board is scheduled to formally approve their end of the transfer on April 14, 2026.