Frequently Asked Questions

Inquiries about a particular section of road need to be made to the highway authority that has jurisdiction of that section of road.  You can use the County’s interactive Roadway Jurisdiction map to obtain contact information for the applicable highway authority for a specific section of road. You can contact the Highway Department for additional information at 815-772-7651.

Please view the County's snow plowing policy.

While the County regularly works on smaller maintenance projects throughout the County such as installing new entrances, graveling shoulders, replacing culverts, etc., the County also has a schedule of more major projects such as bridge replacement or repairs, road resurfacing projects, etc. that are included in the Highway Department Five Year Plan interactive map.

Regardless of who has jurisdiction of the road, a request must be made to the highway authority for approval to install anything on the right-of-way, including entrances.  To request an entrance on a County road please complete the Driveway Access Permit application.  For all other roads, contact the appropriate highway authority.

The State of Illinois establishes the following highway authorities along with what roads they have jurisdiction: 

• Tollway Authority – toll roads
• Illinois Department of Transportation – marked and unmarked state roads
• Counties – county roads 
• Road districts – township roads 
• Municipalities – municipal streets

County, township, and municipal roads all fall under the category of “Local Roads”.  There are a few other jurisdictional systems in the state, although not as common.

Sometimes referred to as “frost laws”, “Spring Postings” refer to the temporary reduction of weight limits on some roads due to the condition of the road.  In the spring when temperatures begin to rise to the point that the frozen ground begins to thaw, the ground thaws from the surface downward.  As the top thaws, and in particular the ground supporting the road, the road becomes susceptible to damage because there is a soft layer between the road and the frozen ground farther down.  Often times the softer layer will “boil” up through the road surface, damaging the road.  Heavier loads can cause significant damage to the road surface.  The reduced weight limit helps to limit the damage.  Once the frost is gone the road returns to its stable condition.  When the County staff has determined that roads are getting too soft the County will install the reduced weight limit signs at the ends of the sections of road that are affected.  Public Notices are issued to let the public know of the Spring Posting limits and will issue a Public Notice once the season has ended.  Local agencies are limited to posting roads to no more than 90 consecutive days.

Seal coating is a maintenance procedure that consists of applying a thin layer of oil to the road and then immediately applying a layer of rock chips.  The purpose of seal coating (sometimes referred to as “chip and seal”) seals small cracks in the pavement, protects the existing pavement from exposure to the elements that will deteriorate the pavement over a long period of time, and will provide a rougher surface to help prevent skidding, particularly in the winter months.  After the seal coating operations have been completed, dust that was on the chips will become loose and get picked up by the tires of the vehicles.  There will also be some chips that did not get completely adhere to the oil.  For a period of time after the work has been completed the road surface will behave similar to a gravel road; however, over time, especially after some rain events, the dust and loose chips will be gone and the road will return to a condition similar to what it was prior to the construction.  Typically, the County reseals roads every 10-12 years.