Black ice blamed for Elgin-O'Hare closure

A stretch of the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway was closed for almost two hours early Monday morning after black ice caused accidents involving a dozen cars.

Illinois State Police Trooper Delila Garcia said darkness and cold temperatures caused 12 cars to skid into various accidents around 5:30 a.m. in the eastbound lanes, between Lake Street and Gary Avenue. Three minor injuries were reported but no one was transported to a hospital.

"People were driving regularly, and they were just losing control because it was very dark outside and they didn't see the black ice," she said. "Earlier salt laid down by the Illinois Department of Transportation wasn't doing much good because it was so cold."

IDOT crews arrived to help clear ice on the scene and remove cars from ditches, while the Illinois State Police and the Hanover Park Fire Department also responded to the scene.

The expressway reopened at approximately 7:45 a.m., Garcia said.

Ice-glazing caused by the bitter cold snarled expressways for many Chicago commuters this morning.

The Illinois Department of transportation said the intense cold contributed to the problems by making the salt spread by its trucks less effective in melting the ice.

Social service workers in Chicago conducted well-being checks and hosted more than 100 people in an overnight warming center, while officials activated an automatic phone message system that called residents to warn them of the cold.

More snow is on the way after midnight with low temperatures 3 to 7 degrees above zero. Two to four inches is expected to fall. More snow is expected Tuesday night and Wednesday.