Speed limits are expected to go up on tollways in Kane and DuPage counties in the near future but no road limit will hit 70 miles per hour.

The Illinois Tollway’s Customer Service and Planning Committee recommended last week that speed limits on several segments of roadway be increased on the Tri-State Tollway (Interstates 94, 294 and 80), the Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88) and the Veterans Memorial Tollway (Interstate 355).

The full Tollway Board could approve the increases this week.

A 70 mph speed limit law change championed by then-State Sen. Jim Oberweis a few years ago allowed speed limits to increase where appropriate statewide.

For the past several years, however, the Illinois Tollway’s traffic engineer has been conducting and reviewing engineering and traffic studies for portions of the tollway to determine potential speed limit increases.

“The Tollway’s Traffic Engineer, a nationally recognized expert, reviewed speed limits on our system and has identified portions of our roadways where increases can be safely implemented,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director Kristi Lafleur. “As we continue to move these recommendations forward and seek approval from the Tollway Board of Directors and the Illinois Department of Transportation, I want to remind our customers to always obey the posted speed limit and watch closely for work zone speed limit signs, especially as we start our construction season within the next few weeks.”

Based on prior state legislation, speed limits increased to 70 mph in areas outside of Kane County — specifically, on the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) west of the I-39 interchange in Winnebago County and on the western portion of the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88) in DeKalb, Ogle and Lee counties.

If recommendations are approved, about 62 percent of the tollway system will have had speed limits increased over the last five years.

“Speed limits on the portions of I-90 not previously studied will be reviewed once sufficient data on the newly reconstructed sections has been collected,” a tollways press release said.

Adjustment of speed limits on the remaining 62 miles of I-90 could bring that number as high as 83 percent.

Among increases recommended for full Tollway Board consideration include:

* An increase from 55 to 60 miles per hour on Interstate 88 from the Eisenhower Expressway (Interstate 290) to Illinois Route 31.

• An increase from 55 to 65 miles per hour for cars and 55 to 65 miles per hour for trucks from Illinois Route 31 to Orchard Road.
• I-88 from Illinois Route 31 to Orchard Road – recommended increase from 55 to 65 mph for cars and buses, recommended increase from 55 to 60 mph for trucks

An increase from 55 to 65 miles per hour for buses and 55 to 60 miles per hour for trucks from Orchard Road to the Kane/DeKalb county lines.

Speed limits would also increase on Veterans Memorial Tollway (Interstate 355) from 55 to 60 miles per hour for all traffic.