With the recent introduction of the reduced speed zone on Route 29, Chillicothe Voice asked a few questions to Paul Wappel, Public Information Officer with the Illinois Department of Transportation, to help clarify their decision.

Why was the speed limit reduced from 55mph to 45mph? 

“There has been a disproportionate number of crashes along this section of Illinois Route 29 through Rome, with a significant number of them related to the speed of traffic on Illinois Route 29.” 

Is this a permanent change?

“Yes.”

The speed limit reduces from 55 to 45 and then there’s a stretch just outside the Chillicothe city limits where it goes back to 55 — why is that? 

“The intent is to focus on reducing speeds along the stretch of Illinois Route 29 where there is a disproportionate number of crashes and a significant amount of turning traffic. The longer the speed limit is reduced to 45 mph on a road designed for higher speeds, the less effective it becomes at slowing down drivers and the more difficult it becomes to enforce.”

In this effort to slow traffic down, will law enforcement be issuing warnings before citations?  

“Local and state police have agreed to increase enforcement.”

Has there been consideration to install a stoplight in that area instead of speed control?

“Regarding the installation of a traffic signal at Illinois Route 29 and Knox Street, traffic signal locations are required to meet warrants established in the nationally accepted Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and the traffic volumes on Knox Street are too low to meet the warrants on traffic alone. And, while sight distance at the intersection is acceptable, we identified some distractions and improvements to visibility that could be made. We trimmed trees along IDOT right-of-way last month to allow for more visibility of Illinois Route 29 when approaching from the side roads. We will also relocate some signs from the outside of Illinois Route 29 to the median to limit distractions near intersections and we are going to work with the Township and businesses in hopes of reducing the driveway width on Knox Street so that the exit is further from Illinois Route 29. This will give drivers more time to look for traffic on Illinois Route 29 before reaching the STOP sign. We will monitor the immediate improvements and their effectiveness on safety. If the improvements do not sufficiently reduce the crash frequency, we can continue with the planning and design of a larger project along the corridor that includes traffic signals.”

What’s expected from motorists? 

“Motorists on Illinois Route 29 are expected to slow down, stay off their phones, and pay attention to the traffic conditions. The Illinois State Police and Peoria County Sheriff’s Office will be out there assisting drivers with meeting these expectations.”