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Historic Winter Blizzard Leaves Many Chicago Motorists Stranded on area Roadways

An overnight snowstorm left many Chicago area drivers stranded last night as the City was pounded with a blizzard of potentially historic proportions. Illinois State officials have closed portions of several major interstate expressways as of early Wednesday morning in order to reach stranded motorists or abandoned vehicles. One of the most affected areas was Lake Shore Drive where multiple car accidents and stranded cars and buses left some motorists trapped in their cars until early Thursday morning. According to reports, a CTA Fullerton Ave. bus was stuck on Lake Shore Drive behind a Chicago car accident while crews were unable to access it. The bus was converted into a warming station for stranded motorists. Some reports indicated that conditions were severe enough to halt even snow plows from operating.

Many suburban expressways and highways have also been severely hampered or completely shut down as a result of the storm. According to Illinois State Police, Interstate 57 in Kankakee was completely shut down as of 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Other road closures include portions of I-80, I-88, I-74, I-39 and I-155. For more information on weather related road closures Chicago motorists should contact the Illinois Department of Transportation or check the IDOT message boards. Chicago drivers are urged to avoid travel in all except emergency circumstances.

If you have any questions about winter driving in Chicago or would like to speak with an attorney, please click here.

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