Will County Partners with LNS Development for Laraway Road Drainage Improvements in New Lenox
Will County Public Works & Transportation Committee Meeting | April 7, 2026
Article Summary: The county approved a cost-sharing agreement with a private developer to build shared stormwater management facilities that will serve both a new residential subdivision and the upcoming Laraway Road widening project.
Laraway Road / LNS Development Key Points:
-
Will County and LNS Development Group, LLC will co-fund shared stormwater infrastructure.
-
The county will pay an estimated $332,209.92 for its share of the detention facility and storm sewer upgrades.
-
The county is also paying LNS Development $19,862.03 to acquire 0.43 acres of right-of-way required for the Laraway Road widening project.
-
The Laraway Road project will widen the highway to four lanes between Cedar Road and Spencer Road.
Will County is leveraging private development to streamline its own infrastructure costs, approving an agreement with LNS Development Group, LLC on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, to construct shared stormwater facilities along Laraway Road in New Lenox.
The agreement centers on a parcel of land (PIN 15-08-35-100-011) where LNS Development is planning a new residential subdivision. Concurrently, Will County is engineering a major capacity project to widen Laraway Road (County Highway 74) from a two-lane road to a four-lane highway with a center barrier median from Cedar Road to Spencer Road.
Because both the county’s highway expansion and the private residential development require significant stormwater management, the two entities agreed to co-locate and share the costs of a detention facility and upgraded storm sewers on the developer’s parcel.
According to the engineer’s estimates provided in the agenda packet, Will County’s financial obligation for the construction of the shared improvements is capped at an estimated $332,209.92. This breaks down to $179,218.92 (21% of the total cost) for the detention basin, and $152,991.00 (100% of the required upgrades) to properly size the storm sewers to accommodate WCDOT drainage. LNS Development will cover the remaining construction costs.
Furthermore, the agreement secures the land Will County needs to physically widen the road. LNS Development will convey 0.43668 acres of right-of-way to the county in exchange for $19,862.03. In return, the county guarantees the developer’s vested rights to specific access points and drainage capacity along the newly widened highway.
The measure was passed unanimously and advances to the full County Board.
Latest News Stories
Trustees Renew Federal Lobbyist Contract Following $800,000 Funding Win
Executive Committee Advances $28.7 Million BNSF Bridge Project for Lorenzo Road
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan-Elwood Public Library District for January 26, 2026
Land Use Committee: ‘Clean Fill’ Proposal Stalls After Unauthorized Tree Removal Sparks Environmental Concerns
Manhattan School District Approves Tax Abatement and Fund Transfers
Contracts Approved for New West Principal and District Technology Director
Manhattan-Elwood Library Officially Adopts “Library of Things” Policies and Patron Waivers
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Planning and Zoning Commission for February 17, 2026
Board Approves New Chief of Staff and Dean Roles; Trustees Clash Over Hiring Transparency
Green Garden Township Residents Threaten Incorporation to Block 6,000-Acre Solar Farm
Library Board Proposes Land-for-Services Swap with Village of Elwood for Mississippi Lot
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Jackson Township Board for January 14, 2026