Will New I-55 Interchanges Raise Home Values in Romeoville and Bolingbrook?
Will the New I-55 Interchange Plan Raise Home Values in Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield?
The Illinois Department of Transportation, working with the Villages of Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield, is finishing Phase I engineering on new I-55 interchanges near Airport Road and Lockport Street and at Illinois 126. If the project moves forward as planned, construction could begin in roughly three years, with the interchanges opening around six years from now. New highway access tends to lift long-term demand and values for the closest residential areas, though the effect builds slowly, concentrates near the new ramps, and depends on the project actually clearing funding and final design.
By the Constellation Home Sales Team | September 16, 2026
Steve Roake and Kimberly Genovese work this exact corridor every week, and this is one of the questions we're hearing most from homeowners in Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield right now.
What's Actually Being Proposed Along I-55
Right now, there's only one interchange access point on I-55 between US Route 30 and Weber Road, a six-mile stretch: a partial interchange at IL 126 that only offers a northbound on-ramp and a southbound off-ramp. If you live or work anywhere along that corridor, you already know what that means for your daily drive.
IDOT and the three villages are studying two new, full-access interchanges to fix that gap. Here's where things stand:
Study area:I-55 between US Route 30 and Weber Road, roughly six miles.
Proposed locations: Airport Road/Lockport Street and Illinois 126.
Why it's being studied: the combined population of Plainfield, Romeoville, and Bolingbrook is projected to grow from about 159,000 in 2020 to roughly 191,000 by 2050, with the local workforce expected to climb from 53,000 to 66,000 over the same period.
Current phase: Phase I preliminary engineering and environmental study, nearing completion.
Projected timeline: if the project advances, construction could start in about three years, with the interchanges opening in roughly six years.
That timeline is a planning estimate, not a promise. Phase I studies still need to clear funding decisions, final design, and Phase II engineering before a shovel goes in the ground. Verify the current project status with IDOT or your village's public works department before you build it into a firm buying or selling timeline.
How Highway Access Typically Affects Nearby Home Values
New interchange access does not flip a switch on home prices the day it's announced. What usually happens instead:
Values close to the new ramps move first, often as builders and retailers start acquiring land near the future interchange years before it opens.
The effect fades with distance. A home a half mile from a new ramp sees a different impact than one three miles away in the same village.
Construction years can be a mixed bag. Easier future access is the upside, and the disruption, noise, and detours during construction are the trade-off homeowners closest to the work zone should plan around.
It compounds with other local investment. Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield are already seeing this pattern play out. Will County's retail and residential growth kept pace with major projects such as the Woodman's development on Route 59 in Plainfield, which is bringing new commercial density to the same general corridor this project would improve access to.
This isn't the first infrastructure story shaping home values in the southwest suburbs this year. The Route 71 widening project affecting Oswego and Yorkville follows a similar pattern: road capacity improves first, then retail and residential interest follow along the corridor over the next several years.
Worth noting: both Romeoville and Bolingbrook are already performing well without this project factored in. Romeoville's median home price ran about $335,000 over the three months ending in August 2026, up roughly 8% year over year. Bolingbrook's median sat closer to $400,000 over the same window, also up about 8%, with homes there averaging around four offers and 43 days on market. A new interchange would layer onto markets that are already competitive, not rescue slow ones.
What This Means If You're Buying or Selling Near the Corridor
If you're a buyer considering a home near the proposed Airport Road/Lockport Street or IL 126 interchanges, you're weighing a real trade-off: potential long-term appreciation against several years of construction activity nearby once the project breaks ground. Neither side of that trade-off is guaranteed, and both deserve a straight answer before you write an offer.
If you're a seller in Romeoville, Bolingbrook, or Plainfield, you do not need to wait six years for an interchange to open before you list. The current market in both villages is already strong, and a distant infrastructure project is one input among many, not a reason to delay a sale that otherwise makes sense for your situation.
A few practical steps if this project affects your decision:
Confirm how close your address actually is to the Airport Road/Lockport Street and IL 126 study corridor, not just which village you're in.
Ask about current Phase I status before assuming a firm construction date. IDOT project timelines shift with funding cycles.
Weigh near-term construction disruption against long-term access if you're buying specifically for appreciation potential.
Watch how it connects to other Will County growth, including retail investment near Rock Run Collection in Joliet and residential development like Sadie Ridge in Lockport, both signals of the same broader corridor investment.
The Timeline You're Actually Working With
Here's the honest version: Phase I nearing completion does not mean shovels next year. It means the villages and IDOT have done the engineering and environmental groundwork to move to the next phase, assuming funding comes through. A three-year path to construction and a six-year path to opening are both realistic ranges based on how projects like this typically move, not fixed dates you should plan a sale or purchase around.
That said, the population and workforce growth projections behind this study are not going away. Plainfield, Romeoville, and Bolingbrook are growing corridors regardless of exactly when a new interchange opens, and that underlying growth is already showing up in this year's pricing data.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the new I-55 interchanges near Romeoville and Bolingbrook actually open?
There's no confirmed opening date yet. Based on the current Phase I study, construction could begin in roughly three years and the interchanges could open in about six years, assuming the project clears funding and final design. Confirm current status directly with IDOT or your village's public works department before relying on that timeline.
Does a new highway interchange always raise nearby home values?
Not automatically, and not evenly. Homes closest to the new access point tend to see the strongest long-term effect, while the impact fades with distance and takes years to fully show up in sale prices. Construction-phase disruption is a real short-term trade-off for the closest properties.
Should I wait to sell my home until the interchange project breaks ground?
Not necessarily. Romeoville and Bolingbrook are already competitive markets this year, with Bolingbrook homes averaging around four offers and 43 days on market. Waiting years for a project that is still in Phase I means holding through market cycles you cannot predict for an appreciation bump that is not guaranteed.
Which parts of Romeoville, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield are closest to the proposed interchanges?
The study area runs along I-55 between US Route 30 and Weber Road, with proposed interchange locations at Airport Road/Lockport Street and Illinois 126. Exact proximity varies by address, so it's worth checking your specific location against the current study maps rather than assuming based on village boundaries alone.
Will construction disrupt traffic and property values in the meantime if this project moves forward?
Likely, yes, for homes closest to the work zones once construction begins. Detours, noise, and access changes are typical during interchange construction. Homeowners planning to sell during an active construction window should factor that into pricing and marketing strategy.
Whether you're weighing a purchase near this corridor for the long-term access upside or wondering if your Romeoville or Bolingbrook home is worth listing now instead of waiting on a project that's still years from breaking ground, that's exactly the kind of question worth a real answer instead of a guess. Text or call 630-912-9129 and we'll walk through what this specific project means for your street and your timeline.
About the Constellation Home Sales Team
The Constellation Home Sales Team — Steve Roake and Kimberly Genovese — has closed more than 615 transactions worth over $113 million across Chicago's southwest suburbs and Northwest Indiana. Licensed since 2003 and operating under Keller Williams Preferred Realty, the team specializes in probate and estate sales, expired listings, negotiation, and divorce and life-transition sales, with a track record of selling homes at 101% of list price against a 97.7% MLS-wide average. Connect with the team at freedomgroupglobal.com or 630-912-9129.
