Icy roads cause hundreds of accidents throughout the area

Hundreds of accidents have been reported throughout the Chicago area today due to what is being widely considered the worst icy driving conditions in a decade.

Every expressway has multiple accidents in both directions, officials reported, with the worst being multiple car pile ups on the Dan Ryan, the Eisenhower, the Kennedy and the Tri-State tollways.

Injuries have been reported in most of those accidents, but state police said none is serious but are too busy to release additional details and the numbers of people injured.

A freezing rain weather advisory ended at 6 a.m., however, and with the area warming up this morning, the icy conditions should give way.

With temperatures rising, however, a flash flood watch will be in effect from late tonight through Saturday evening.

Meteorologists reported the system moved into the Chicago area around 2:30 a.m. and quickly coated the roads with slick, black ice.

Police have been warning drivers to stay off the highways until the sun comes up.

The exits on outbound I-55 tollway have been shut down from I-355 North-South Tollway to Kingery Hwy.

Metra is also warning of systemwide delays of 15 minutes to 30 minutes due to the icy conditions. Metra cancelled trains out of Joliet due to arrive in Chicago at 6:50 a.m. because of the freezing rain and ice.

The icy roads and traffic incidents resulted in moderate to severe service delays for Pace service Friday, officials reported.

They said the south suburbs and Joliet were hit the hardest and that service is running behind schedule on multiple routes.

Riders can check pacebus.com for real-time bus prediction information.

Some rain is forecast later in the day, with thunderstorms expected to move into the area early Saturday morning.

Those rains are expected to bring some flooding downstate, officials said.