Key Western Springs Intersection May Be Improved: Official

WESTERN SPRINGS, IL – A Western Springs resident expressed safety concerns this week over the intersection of 47th Street and Wolf Road.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, resident Jerry Jerabek, who lives near the intersection, said a lot of "extremely serious" crashes have occurred there.

Wolf is a county road, while 47th is the state's.

One of the problems, Jerabek said, was that westbound 47th Street drivers don't get a protected left turn.

"The other three directions have a left-turn signal," said Jerabek, who has lived there since the 1980s. "But that particular direction does not. For whatever reason, I cannot understand."

He also suggested lowering the 35 mph speed limit to 30 mph on 47th, like it is in La Grange.

As for the intersection, Jerabek said, "That has to be the most dangerous corner in Western Springs."

According to the police department's 2024 annual report, 47th and Wolf had the second-most crashes. Topping the list was Wolf and Ogden Avenue; third was Wolf and 55th Street.

At the meeting, Jefferey Koza, the village engineer, said the state has a project in the works on 47th Street, having started the preliminary engineering.

But he cautioned it could be many years before the work begins.

"A lot of the concerns you have brought forward are things they're looking at," Koza told Jerabek. "I think there are a lot of promising things that could come out of this project."

He also said Western Springs is on the list for a speed study on 47th. The last one was done a few years ago.