Speeders on Algonquin's Bunker Hill Drive beware

Travel much on Bunker Hill Drive in Algonquin?

Police have their eye on you.

On average, motorists are driving between 25 and 29 mph between Bunker Hill Drive at Fairway View Drive, where the posted speed limit is 25 mph, said Sgt. Wade Merritt, head of Algonquin's traffic patrol division.

Overall, motorists are slowing down at the intersection and that's the good news.

But the bad news is that nearly 200 drivers still have a need for speed on that stretch of road, he said.

According to a police traffic study, 190 motorists drove at least 10 mph faster than the 25 mph speed limit over several days earlier this month, Merritt said.

Still, that number is down from September, when police clocked 300 motorists going 10 mph above the speed limit and higher.

Stepped up patrols and the reopening of Algonquin Road have resulted in fewer people speeding, Merritt said.

But there's still work to be done when it comes to curbing speeders, he said.

To that end, there will be more of a police presence that includes unmarked cars and police vehicles circulating the area.

For five years, Algonquin police have kept an eye on Bunker Hill Drive, due to residents complaining about speeders.

If you get caught driving at least 10 mph above the speed limit, you face a $75 ticket, Merritt said.

He also reiterated the importance of obeying posted speed limits.

"If you only have two seconds to stop, well at 25 mph you may be able to, but at 35 mph, you may not be able to," he said.

A $34,638 grant through the Illinois Department of Transportation's Speed Enforcement Program helps pay for the village's ongoing study at that intersection.

The police department has until Sept. 30 to spend the money.