• CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated the 70 mph speed limit would be limited to the portion of I-88 west of Route 47. 

The 70 mph speed limit change for the state of Illinois is expected to affect Kane County’s I-88 and I-90, according to the sponsor of the 70-mph-speed-limit bill.

State legislation sponsored by state Sen. Jim Oberweis allows a 70 mph speed limit on limited-access freeways/expressways in Illinois.

Oberweis said Monday that the 70 mph speed limit is in effect right now, but it will probably take until the first week of the new year for the Illinois Tollway to post the 70 mph signs.

“It’s my belief that the speed limit is now 70 mph, regardless of what’s posted,” he said.

Originally, the legislation was just for downstate expressways, but Oberweis argued that it should also apply to Chicago-area highways.

You can read full text of the bill on the Illinois General Assembly webpage.

The legislation passed the Illinois House in May, but Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed the bill in August. On Wednesday, the state House voted 100-11-1 to override the veto of Senate Bill 2015.

According to a press release from the Illinois Department of Transportation, once the law goes into effect, about 87 percent of Interstate highways and 98 percent of rural Interstates under IDOT’s jurisdiction will be increased to 70 mph. About 28 percent of the Tollway’s 286-mile system will be increased to 70 mph.

Kane County Director of Transportation Carl Schoedel said no Kane County highways would be affected by the 70 mph speed limit, but it would be up to Tollway officials to determine the speed limits on I-88 and I-90, which run through Kane County.

“The speed limits would be justified by engineering studies from the appropriate agency — in this case, the Illinois Tollway,” he said. “That said, we felt it would be most appropriate to leave the engineering decisions in the hands of the Tollway engineers and the policy decisions in the hands of the Tollway policymakers.”